133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
12 February 2024
ASE
By email:
[FYI request #25305 email]
Ref:
H2023034647
Tēnā koe ASE
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 - Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) on 28 December 2023 for information regarding COVID-
19 vaccines and reinfection. You requested:
“I am seeking all information and data held by The Ministry of Health relating to
correlations between COVID “vaccines” and COVID reinfection. In particular, I am seeking
information and data that compares/contrasts COVID reinfection rates to numbers of
COVID “vaccines”.
eg, I am seeking information and data that quantifiably demonstrates, using real-world
data (not modeled data) any correlation (or inverse correlation) between COVID-19
“vaccines” and COVID reinfection, such that a risk of COVID reinfection is (or is not)
correlated to how many COVID “vaccines” a person has had.
If this data has not been compiled by The Ministry of Health, please explain why; and,
please provide data from which this analysis can be performed.
For clarification, this request includes all information pertaining to the above requests
which is, intentionally or otherwise, not being held by The Ministry of Health.”
Your request has been refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act as the requested correlation of
COVID reinfection rates to numbers of COVID vaccines is not held by the Ministry and there are
no grounds for believing it is held by another agency subject to the Act.
The Ministry has not performed this analysis as there is an under-reporting of COVID-19
infections, as many people do not test or report their test result, and this is information that
would be required in order to perform the analysis. This data gap is evident when comparing the
level of SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in the wastewater with trends in reported cases.
The characteristics of people with infection who test and report their results are also potentially
different to the characteristics of those who are infected but do not test or report their results (a
type of bias). Therefore, any analysis of re-infection, including in relation to vaccination, would
not provide reliable insights.
Data and analyses that are relevant to your request are as follows:
• COVID-19 data and statistics, including case numbers, reinfections and booster numbers,
can be found here:
covid19.govt.nz/news-and-data/covid-19-data-and-statistics/
• Additional information and data on infection numbers and vaccination rates can be found
here:
www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/our-health-system/data-and-statistics/covid-vaccine-data/
www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/our-health-system/data-and-statistics/covid-19-data/covid-19-
current-cases/
• A report on inequities in mortality, which considered determinants (including vaccination)
can be found here:
COVID-19 Mortality in Aotearoa New Zealand: Inequities in Risk | Ministry of Health NZ
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel
free to contact the OIA Services Team on: [email address].
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.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Manatū Hauora website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-
official-information-act-requests.
Nāku noa, nā
Louise Karageorge
Group Manager, Intelligence, Surveil ance and Knowledge
Public Health Agency | Te Pou Hauora Tūmatanui
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