133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
2 February 2022
Helen Wallis
By email: [FYI request #17562 email]
Ref:
H202117856
Tēnā koe Helen
Response to your request for official information Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Ministry of
Health (the Ministry) on 1 December 2021 for information relating to applications regarding
vaccine status. Each point of your request is answered in turn.
1. I request any and all information pertaining to the studies undertaken to show the risk
that a person with a double jab of Pfizer "immunisation" against Covid-19 has in regards
to contracting Covid-19 from a non-vaccinated person.
Preliminary results from studies carried out by researchers have shown that two doses of the
Pfizer vaccine can substantially reduce transmission of the virus:
www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/pages/science_updates_7_may_2021.pdf. A
summary of currently available data can be found at:
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/science/science-briefs/fully-vaccinated-people.html. The Immunisation Handbook (chapter 5) provides references to scientific studies conducted
regarding COVID-19 and the vaccine:
www.health.govt.nz/our-work/immunisation-handbook-
2020/5-coronavirus-disease-covid-19
Medsafe also publishes up to date information regarding the Comirnaty vaccine, including its
clinical efficacy and safety:
www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/PUArticles/June2021/Spotlight-on-
Comirnaty-vaccine.html
The following links may also be useful to you:
• Information regarding the efficacy and safety of the vaccine can be found here:
www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-
19-health-advice-public/about-covid-19/covid-19-about-delta-variant
• The Ministry of Health also regularly updates the Science News page for up to
date information regarding COVID-19 and the Vaccine:
www.health.govt.nz/our-
work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-resources-and-
tools/covid-19-science-news.
2. I request any and all information pertaining to the studies undertaken to show the risk
that a person with a double jab Pfizer "immunisation" against Covid-19 has in regards to
contracting Covid-19 from a child under 12 years of age.
3. I request any and all information showing the expected risk of a child catching Covid-19
in a school environment and the expected outcome of their exposure to Covid-19.
Please provide all supporting evidence that you have used to substantiate the above
statements including the study in the UK, the study(ies) which shows that vaccinated
vulnerable populations will have a high chance of falling sick and potentially dying, the
study(ies) which show that mandating vaccines have an effect on the rate of
transmission to vaccinated vulnerable people, the study(ies) which support the principle
that mandating vaccines causes a reduction of infection and transmission in the wider
community. Please also provide a list of studies that were reviewed which show the
opposite i.e. vaccination does not effect the infection rate and transmission in the wider
community. I wish to see that information from both sides of the question has been
reviewed.
As you have been advised, the Ministry does not provide situational advice.
Medsafe assesses medicine and vaccine applications against internationally established
criteria. The stringent requirements vaccines must meet in order to be approved remain in place
under emergency circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Medsafe has found that the
benefits of vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine continue to greatly outweigh the risk of both
COVID-19 infection and vaccine side effects. More information about the vaccine evaluation
and approval process can be found here:
www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/vaccine-approval-
process.asp
While the Act allows New Zealanders to ask for information from Ministers and government
agencies, there is no requirement for agencies to create new information, compile information
they do not hold or provide or prove an opinion. Your questions and the statements that support
them appear designed to engage in a debate about the Government’s COVID-19 vaccination
programme, rather than a request for official information. The Act does not support requests
where an opinion, comment, argument, or hypothetical statement is put to the Ministry for
response, couched as a request for information. These questions are therefore refused under
section 18(g) of the Act on the grounds that the information sought is not held by the Ministry.
Studies and research regarding the vaccine can be found on PubMed here:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ and the New England Journal of Medicine here:
https://www.nejm.org/coronavirus.
4. Please provide a full disclosure explanation to answer the following parts of the above
question:
What is the plan for vaccine boosters in NZ into the foreseeable future, eg will there be
a requirement for one every 6 months etc
What is the expected efficacy (i.e) 6 months after the booster shot
Current evidence suggests that after two doses protection against severe disease, including
hospital and ICU admission, remains high, including for the Delta and Omicron variant.
However, it is important to note that antibody levels decline over time. Information about the
vaccine effectiveness and protection is available at:
www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-
conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-effectiveness-and-
protection
Workforces covered by the Vaccination Order including border, MIQ and health and disability
workers are now required to have their booster by 15 February 2022, or not later than six
months after their second dose for those who were only recently vaccinated.
All other workforces covered by the Vaccination Order including Education, Corrections, Police,
Defence, and Fire and Emergency workforces are required to have their booster vaccination by
1 March 2022 or no later than six months after their second dose for those who were only
recently vaccinated.
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We continue to assess new evidence on booster doses, including the interval between the
second dose and booster dose, as well as the requirement for boosters in the general
population.
More information about vaccine boosters is available at:
www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-
and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-boosters.
5. Please let me rephrase the above question. Please provide any and all information
regarding early treatment drugs for covid 19 and any information held about them as a
control mechanism against covid 19.
The Ministry’s guidelines for COVID-19 treatments can be found at:
www.health.govt.nz/our-
work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-information-health-
professionals/covid-19-primary-care. Information regarding the treatment itself, will be held the
District Health Board (DHBs), as they are conducting the treatment.
6. I request any and all information pertaining to the stance the government has taken on
not allowing a blood serology test showing antibodies to Covid-19 through exposure to
the virus to be counted as being effectively immunised. It is clear that many other
countries worldwide have both options, either recovered with antibodies or vaccinated.
Information regarding antibodies is still under active consideration, therefore this part of
your request is withheld under section 9(2)(if)(iv) of the Act. Available information
regarding immunity and antibodies can be found here: [13]www.health.govt.nz/our-
work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-
public/about-covid-19/covid-19-what-we-know-about-infection-and-immunity#immunity. I
am unsatisfied with your response to this question. The information in the link provided is
clearly out of date and it seems the latest information is not being considered. Please
provide a full disclosure explanation as to how the antibody response can still be under
active consideration when there have been multiple studies world wide which show an
appropriate antibody response to provide immunity. The WHO also acknowledges
natural immunity gained from recovery from covid 19. Also please provide all meeting
minutes and communications regarding the active consideration mentioned in your
answer.
With regards to those who have already had COVID-19, antibody (often referred to as serology)
tests look for antibodies in the blood. COVID-19 antibody tests can help identify people who
may have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus or have recovered from a COVID-19
infection.
At this time, researchers do not know whether the presence of antibodies means that you are
immune to COVID-19; or if you are immune, how long it will last.
In people who have received a COVID-19 vaccination, antibody testing is not recommended to
determine whether you are immune or protected from COVID-19. Vaccination remains the
safest way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 infection. If you are unsure, please
discuss with your healthcare professional the risk-benefit assessment for receiving a COVID-19
vaccine.
The Ministry continues to assess this question and is in discussion with the COVID-19 Vaccine
Technical Advisory Group (CV TAG) to determine if a change is appropriate that should
consider natural infection alongside any decision around immunity from vaccination
While other countries and the WHO have made statements about immunity from natural
infection, the Ministry of Health has not revised its position on this topic and continues to keep it
under open review. At this point, for New Zealand, very few people have had COVID-19 such
that an adjustment in this position would not be appropriate to apply to New Zealand.
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7. I request any and all information pertaining to the governments acceptable death rate
from Covid-19
Please provide me with a full disclosure explanation unless the governments' position is
to attempt to prevent any death at any cost related to the virus or follow on effects of the
response to covid 19 as discussed above.
As you have been previously advised, the Government does not have an ‘acceptable death
rate’ so the information you have requested does not exist and is refused under section 18(e) of
the Act. The Ministry considers that every death due to COVID-19 is regrettable and a tragedy
for the community and their whānau. This is why the Government has been urging New
Zealanders to get fully vaccinated to protect themselves and their communities from the harm
caused by the virus. Please be advised that repeatedly attempting to engage in a debate with
the Ministry could be construed as vexatious and result in such requests being refused under
section 18(h) of the Act.
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Jan Torres
Manager, OIA Services
Office of the Deputy Director General
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