30 July 2024
Erika Whittome
[FYI request #27326 email]
Tēnā koe Erika,
Your request for official information, reference: HNZ00053873
Thank you for your email on 24 June 2024, asking Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora for the
following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
I see the Highlanders Rugby Team feature in an advert posted on Youtube here
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2F
watch%3Fv%3DJA135A0xMVg&data=05%7C02%7Csm_HNZOIA%40tewhatuora.govt.nz%7
Cc32b0b037cdb42ee24b908dc9239ae7b%7Cbed4da513cdb4d0dbaf8fb80d53268e3%7C0%
7C0%7C638546024546252446%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiL
CJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C40000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=9S2
CMWN1AZDQGefr%2FcTz%2BXv3M7R2QU7%2BAOGMwV8kbxk%3D&reserved=0 that
promotes covid-19 vaccination
The film references southernhealth.nz/COVID-19 which is the Southern District Health Board.
Please provide the following information:
How much was paid to the Highlanders Super Rugby Team for this advert ?
How much was paid for any Covid-19 vaccination program at New Zealand Super Rugby
Teams?
Please include payments to all and any actors/players .
Please include payments for leasing space to administer vaccines and for the filming of this
commercial.
Please include the minutes from any DHB budget/strategy meetings, memos, correspondence
etc from when the decision to produce covid-19 vaccine adverts with Super Rugby or any
sports for that matter was decided.
Response
The information you are seeking regarding promotion of COVID-19 vaccination is not held by the
(former) Southern District Health Board but would need to be created in order to respond to your
request. I am therefore refusing your request under section 18(g) of the Act, because Health NZ
Southern does not hold any official information. I am, however, able to advise that Health NZ has
not paid influencers or sports figures to promote COVID-19 vaccination since July 2022.
How to get in touch
If you have any questions, you can contact us at
[email address].
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
by phoning 0800 802 602.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, Health NZ may proactively
release a copy of this response on our website. All requester data, including your name and
contact details, will be removed prior to release.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Danielle Coe
Manager (OIA) Government Services
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
