CO VID-19 VACCINE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION WEEKLY REPORT
Week ending:
11 December 2020
Priority:
Routine
Security
In Confidence
Tracking number: 2021-1800
classification:
Action sought
Action sought
Deadline
Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern
Note the contents of this Weekly Report
N/A
Prime Minister
Hon Grant Robertson
Minister of Finance
Hon Dr Megan Woods
Minister of Research, Science and
Innovation
Hon Chris Hipkins
Minister for COVID-19 Response
Hon Nanaia Mahuta
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hon Andrew Little
Minister of Health
Dr Peter Crabtree
Maree Roberts
General Manager Science, Innovation and International
Deputy Director-General, Systems Strategy
11/ 12 / 2020
and Policy
11 / 12 / 2020
Minister’s comments:
0
IN CONFIDENCE
COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy
Implementation
Weekly Report
Week Ending 11 December 2020
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VACCINE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION WEEKLY REPORT
Purpose
This weekly joint report updates Ministers on key developments in the implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccine
Strategy.
Workstre
ams
Advance Purchase Agreements
Contact: Poppy Haynes
Phone: 9(2)(a)
This week joint Ministers approved the purchase of 3.8 million courses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine
candidate. The Minister of Finance has signed the Deed of Indemnity.
This week we concluded negotiations with a fourth vaccine supplier. We will have provided a briefing on
this purchase opportunity by the time you receive this weekly report. We have secured enough doses to
offer wide population coverage and to cover potential use in Polynesia. This candidate will add a new
technology platform to our portfolio, further diversifying and building the resilience of the portfolio.
We understand that the Prime Minister will announce these deals on 17 December, as part of a wider
vaccine announcement.
9(2)(ba)(i) & (ii)
We have reached out to a potential fifth vaccine supplier to initiate negotiations and will advise if a
purchase opportunity arises.
Immunisation Strategy and Programme
Contact: Mathew Parr
Phone: 9(2)(a)
Governance Group
The COVID-19 Vaccine & Immunisation Programme Governance Group had their final meeting for this
calendar year on 9 December. Members received an update on a number of areas, including outcomes
from the Cabinet Paper, the service design model, communications, and programme assurance. The
Governance Group will reconvene during the week of 14 January.
Service Design
Since our last update, the service design model has been tested and endorsed by the Programme
Governance Group and Steering Group. Our approach is focused on making the vaccine accessible and
having the workforce employed, trained and in the right locations from 1 March. We will share this model
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VACCINE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION WEEKLY REPORT
with DHBs this week and work collaboratively with them in the development. The approach is one of very
tight
national oversight, with local delivery.
Vacc
ine Eligibility
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement that the COVID-19 vaccine would be free, officials have
prepa
red advice relating to vaccine eligibility that will be shared with Ministers prior to Christmas.
Immigration status currently limits access to publicly funded immunisation. Our preferred option is to allow
anyone in New Zealand to have access to a free COVID-19 vaccine as it would support our goal of
population immunity over time. Further information will be shared with Joint Ministers once a formal
decision has been made.
Joint update from MBIE and MoH Communications
Contact: Karl Ferguson (MBIE)
Carl Billington (MoH)
Communications planning
We continue to prepare communications collateral for the planned Vaccine Day on 17 December, which
will include additional vaccine purchase announcements. We are working with Minister’s offices to
coordinate key elements of this event, and will provide a draft media release, reactive Q&As, key messages,
event briefing documents and speaking notes, as required. We have met with the communications and
government relations contacts at relevant companies this week, to ensure we are coordinated in advance
of planned announcements.
In support of the event, MBIE is developing a short animated video to explain the Vaccine Strategy, which
will appear on the COVID-19 website and social media channels. The video will be translated into several
languages for accessibility and we are exploring options for voice-overs in Te Reo Māori and Pacific
languages.
MoH is developing a back pocket ‘vaccine primer’ for staff. It will outline the overall narrative, purchasing
process and timeframes, sequencing summary, and rollout/logistics planning and our stakeholder and
partner engagement headlines. This will help ensure that staff are prepared for questions and discussion
with stakeholders, family and friends. A “Vaccine Update” video is also in production for staff to ensure
they’re updated and informed on progress. The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is also currently preparing their
summer messaging campaign and have invited us to support this work with relevant COVID-19 vaccine-
related messages they could include.
Stakeholder engagement
We will again brief the ‘COVID commentators’ this week (Michael Baker, Siouxsie Wiles, etc) on progress to
secure the vaccine portfolio, immunisation planning, timeframes and sequencing, and the Medsafe
approval process. The briefing invitation has been extended to Dr Rawiri Jensen and Dr Api Talemaitoga to
support them in their MoH roles as key spokespeople for both Māori and Pasifika audiences.
MBIE and MoH are continuing to identify opportunities to jointly engage with other key stakeholder
networks across a range of sector groups and communities. This work is expected to gather further
momentum in the New Year.
Media management
We continue to field a range of media queries, and we are working with other Taskforce agencies to
coordinate and align responses.
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VACCINE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION WEEKLY REPORT
Upcomin
g Briefings
Due Date
Briefing
Title
Sign Out
Number
Manager
11 Dec
2021-1723
Purchase of COVID-19 vaccines from Company Four
Peter Crabtree
Ministerial Official Information Act Requests
Due to
Due to
Number
Requestor Request
Status
Sign out
MO
Requestor
Copies of any briefings the
Minister has received from
Government Departments
(except for Briefings to
9(2)(a)
Incoming Ministers, which I
OIA20-131
11 Jan
18 Jan 2021
Drafting
Poppy Haynes
2021
understand are being
proactively released) between
6 November 2020 and 13
November 2020 under the
Official Information Act.
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