25 March 2022
ASE
[FYI request #17826 email]
Reference: OIA-2021/22-0714
Dear ASE
Official Information Act request relating to vaccines, human rights, crimes against
humanity and war crimes
Thank you for your request made under the Official Information Act (the Act), received on 3
December 2021. You requested:
1. Is The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet aware of any long-term safety
data for any COVID-19 inoculations? If so, what is that data?
2. Is The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet aware of any long-term efficacy
data for any COVID-19 inoculations? If so, what is that data?
3. What consideration within The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has
been given to the status of COVID-19 inoculations as “experimental” medical
treatments? What scientific and medical basis does The Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet have for asserting that COVID-19 inoculations are not
“experimental” medical treatments? If this has not been considered within The
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, then why has this not been
considered?
4. What contingency plans have been considered within The Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet, if COVID-19 inoculations may prove to be unsafe, ineffective,
unnecessary, and/or otherwise harmful to personal health and/or public health (as
“public health” is generally understood)? If this has not been considered within The
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, then why has this not been
considered?
5. In consideration of positions, polices, and/or legislation (including, but not limited to
messaging and medical advice, collective punishments, and segregation) which may
appear as intent to use force, fraud, deceit, duress, over-reaching, or other ulterior
forms of constraint or coercion to encourage, incentivize, or otherwise promote
COVID-19 inoculations, what consideration within The Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet has been given to the effects of such positions, polices, and/or
legislation respecting healthcare providers' legal and ethical obligations to empower
their patients to exercise their rights of informed consent (including rights of informed
refusal)? How do such positions, polices, and/or legislation respect patients' rights
regarding informed consent (including rights of informed refusal)? If this has not been
considered within The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, then why has
this not been considered?
6. In consideration of positions, polices, and/or legislation (including, but not limited to
messaging and medical advice, collective punishments, and segregation) which may
appear as intent to use force, fraud, deceit, duress, over-reaching, or other ulterior
forms of constraint or coercion to encourage, incentivize, or otherwise promote
COVID-19 inoculations, what consideration within The Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet has been given to the effects of such positions, polices, and/or
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
4510377
64 4 817 9700 Facsimile 64 4 472 3181 www.dpmc.govt.nz
legislation respecting individual human rights (including human rights as recognised
under national and international frameworks), such as individual human rights to
privacy and confidentiality of medical information; and individual human rights to
refuse medical treatment, with or without reason? If this has not been considered
within The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, then why has this not been
considered?
7. In consideration of the questions raised above, and related matters, what
consideration within The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has been
given to the possibility that positions, polices, and/or legislation (including, but not
limited to messaging and medical advice, collective punishments, and segregation)
which may appear as intent to use force, fraud, deceit, duress, over-reaching, or
other ulterior forms of constraint or coercion to encourage, incentivize, or otherwise
promote COVID-19 inoculations, may expose proponents, advocates, and/or actors
on behalf of such positions, polices, and/or legislation to culpability for human rights
violations, crimes against humanity, and/or war crimes? If this has not been
considered within The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, then why has
this not been considered?”
I believe that parts 1 and 2 of your request, which ask for long term safety and efficacy data
regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, are more closely connected to the functions of the Ministry
of Health. Accordingly, I have decided under section 14(b)(ii) of the Act to transfer these parts
of your request to the Ministry of Health. The other parts of the request will remain with the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for response. I apologise for the undue delay
for this transfer.
The Ministry of Health has the usual timeframes under the Act from receipt of this transfer to
make a decision on your request.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Corbett
Manager Ministerial and Business Services
4510377
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