Urgent Inquiry: Unravelling the Veil on Vaccine Exemptions Within the Ministry of Health
Lance D. Lavery made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health
The request was refused by Ministry of Health.
From: Lance D. Lavery
Dear Ministry of Health,
Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I am seeking comprehensive and detailed information concerning the exemptions granted in relation to the Covid-19 vaccination strategy. My primary focus is on the Ministry of Health staff and associated contractors, considering the importance of their roles in the public health sector. My requests are as follows:
1. Detailed criteria employed to determine eligibility for vaccine exemptions, including any documentation or guidelines used in the evaluation process.
2. A comprehensive breakdown of vaccine exemptions granted. This should include data segmented by roles (e.g., medical professionals, administrative personnel, contractors) within the Ministry of Health.
3. The rationale or reasons documented for granting these exemptions, especially for key positions or roles that have significant public health responsibilities within the Ministry.
4. Information elucidating any differential or distinct criteria applied to Ministry of Health staff and contractors compared to the general New Zealand public when assessing vaccine exemption requests.
5. Internal communications, directives, memos, or guidelines circulated within the Ministry of Health regarding the decision-making process for granting exemptions. I'm also interested in any guidance regarding how to communicate or not communicate these decisions to the public and media.
6. A description of mechanisms or checks put in place to ensure the exemption process's transparency, fairness, and consistency, especially considering potential public perceptions of preferential treatment for Ministry staff.
7. Specifics about any appeals or reviews initiated against exemption decisions within the Ministry, the review process, and the outcomes of these reviews.
8. Correspondence, emails, or documented discussions highlighting concerns, feedback, or objections from within the Ministry, other governmental departments, or external entities about the exemption process or the number of exemptions granted.
9. Statistical data indicating the total number of Ministry of Health staff and contractors who applied for exemptions, the number granted, the number denied, and any trends, patterns, or anomalies observed in these decisions.
10. Insights into any operational impacts, challenges, or changes to service delivery within the Ministry of Health due to the number of staff or contractors receiving exemptions. This includes any contingency plans or adjustments made in response.
11. Any studies, evaluations, or reviews undertaken (internally or externally) assessing the potential public health implications or risks associated with the number of vaccine exemptions granted within the Ministry.
I value the transparency and responsiveness that the Official Information Act upholds. I anticipate a comprehensive and timely response to these queries. If there are any ambiguities or the need for further clarification arises, I am available for further discussion.
Yours faithfully,
Lance D. Lavery
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Lance
Thank you for your request for official information. The reference number
for your request is: H2023032389
As required under the Official Information Act 1982, Manatū Hauora will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If you'd like to calculate the
timeframe, you can use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact the OIA Services Team
on [2][email address]. If any additional factors come to light which
are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact us so that
these can be taken into account.
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: [3][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services Team
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
M[4]inistry of Health information releases
U[5]nite against COVID-19
------------------- Original Message -------------------
From: Lance D. Lavery <[FOI #24435 email]>;
Received: Fri Oct 13 2023 10:22:21 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>; OIA <[email address]>;
Subject: Official Information request - Urgent Inquiry: Unravelling the
Veil on Vaccine Exemptions Within the Ministry of Health
Dear Ministry of Health,
Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I am seeking comprehensive
and detailed information concerning the exemptions granted in relation to
the Covid-19 vaccination strategy. My primary focus is on the Ministry of
Health staff and associated contractors, considering the importance of
their roles in the public health sector. My requests are as follows:
1. Detailed criteria employed to determine eligibility for vaccine
exemptions, including any documentation or guidelines used in the
evaluation process.
2. A comprehensive breakdown of vaccine exemptions granted. This should
include data segmented by roles (e.g., medical professionals,
administrative personnel, contractors) within the Ministry of Health.
3. The rationale or reasons documented for granting these exemptions,
especially for key positions or roles that have significant public health
responsibilities within the Ministry.
4. Information elucidating any differential or distinct criteria applied
to Ministry of Health staff and contractors compared to the general New
Zealand public when assessing vaccine exemption requests.
5. Internal communications, directives, memos, or guidelines circulated
within the Ministry of Health regarding the decision-making process for
granting exemptions. I'm also interested in any guidance regarding how to
communicate or not communicate these decisions to the public and media.
6. A description of mechanisms or checks put in place to ensure the
exemption process's transparency, fairness, and consistency, especially
considering potential public perceptions of preferential treatment for
Ministry staff.
7. Specifics about any appeals or reviews initiated against exemption
decisions within the Ministry, the review process, and the outcomes of
these reviews.
8. Correspondence, emails, or documented discussions highlighting
concerns, feedback, or objections from within the Ministry, other
governmental departments, or external entities about the exemption process
or the number of exemptions granted.
9. Statistical data indicating the total number of Ministry of Health
staff and contractors who applied for exemptions, the number granted, the
number denied, and any trends, patterns, or anomalies observed in these
decisions.
10. Insights into any operational impacts, challenges, or changes to
service delivery within the Ministry of Health due to the number of staff
or contractors receiving exemptions. This includes any contingency plans
or adjustments made in response.
11. Any studies, evaluations, or reviews undertaken (internally or
externally) assessing the potential public health implications or risks
associated with the number of vaccine exemptions granted within the
Ministry.
I value the transparency and responsiveness that the Official Information
Act upholds. I anticipate a comprehensive and timely response to these
queries. If there are any ambiguities or the need for further
clarification arises, I am available for further discussion.
Yours faithfully,
Lance D. Lavery
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xhristine left an annotation ()
I also am interested, As i was declined an exemption. Also my dr an specialist Also was declined. (Adverse reaction ANAPHYLAXIS)
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Lance,
Please find attached the response to your request for official
information.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services Team
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
M[1]inistry of Health information releases
U[2]nite against COVID-19
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Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this message.
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References
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2. https://covid19.govt.nz/
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From: Lance D. Lavery
Tēnā koe,
I am writing to follow up on the response to my Official Information Act request dated 13 October 2023, regarding the exemptions related to the COVID-19 vaccination strategy. The information provided, or rather the lack thereof, has raised significant concerns and prompts me to seek further clarification.
For your reference, my original request aimed to gather comprehensive information on the vaccine exemptions granted, particularly focusing on Ministry staff and contractors. This entailed requesting information on the exemption criteria, decision-making processes, and the management and communication of these decisions within the Ministry. The response indicating that such information "does not exist" is unexpected, given the importance and public interest in these matters. Accurate record-keeping is a cornerstone of transparent and accountable governance, and its absence in this instance is both surprising and concerning.
Considering this, I kindly request a review of your previous response. If possible, I would appreciate any further information or context the Ministry can provide regarding the vaccine exemption process. I believe that a deeper understanding of the situation will be beneficial for both parties involved.
I would appreciate your assistance in providing a more comprehensive and detailed response to each of the points raised in my original request. I am open to discussing this matter further if needed, to ensure a clear and complete understanding.
Nāku nā,
Lance D. Lavery
Mari Kennedy left an annotation ()
Yours was an extremely well written and expressed request - clear and unambiguous. You asked very pertinent questions that we ALL want answers to. I note your second, very reasonable, attempt was not even acknowledged. You're being stonewalled and gaslit. Rest assured, the truth is coming out thick and fast and all will be revealed in the coming months/ year. The elephant in the room has now morphed into a herd of elephants - the sheeple are finally starting to notice.
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Athina Andonatou left an annotation ()
Like many other NZers, I am interested in seeing the answer to this, another example of 'good for me, but not for thee'.
Link to this