DOIA 2021-1761
23 March 2021
Robin Benson
[FYI request #14897 email] Dear Robin
Thank you for your email of 10 March 2021, requesting the following under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
I wish to obtain all relevant documentation including discussions between MBIE
and/or other ministries and/or any other public-sector entities, such as the
MoH/COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group, relating to decision-making around
non-vaccination approaches to COVID19, especially in relation to the justification
rationale of the broad decision to focus solely on vaccines.
1. Please provide any and all discussions, considerations, decision-making process
including inputs relating to the decision to not fully investigate and monitor non-
vaccine prevention, mitigation and treatments in respect of COVID19.
2. If there are is no information pursuant to the above, why is this the case?
Please provide a comprehensive response including logical and evidence
supporting any such decisions to not undertake assessments as applicable.
The rest of the world continues to investigate such non-vaccine responses and
have done continually throughout 2020 and to date. I am aware of the "COVID-
19 Innovation Acceleration Fund" funded projects but do not consider these to be
adequate explorations and monitoring of the nature described above. For
example, the Douglas Pharmaceuticals project looked at an extremely narrow
question of whether or not hydroxychloroquine reduces risks to frontline workers.
This is not an example of a methodological approach to ensuring all
mitigations/treatments are investigated and assessed on an ongoing basis.
3. If the MBIE is not the correct governmental agency to provide responses to the
above, please outline which agency/agencies would be responsible as a matter of
urgency.
This letter is to notify you that the Ministry is transferring the request to the Ministry
of Health (MOH), in accordance with section 14 of the Official Information Act 1982.
This transfer is occurring because the Ministry believes that the information requested
is more closely aligned with the functions of MOH.
You have the right under section 28(3) of the Act to seek an investigation and review
by the Ombudsman of my decision to transfer your request. The relevant details can
be found at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
Yours sincerely
Simon Rae
Manager, International Science Partnerships
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment