04 August 2021
Ross Francis
[FYI request #15888 email]
Tēnā koe Ross
Your Official Information Act request, reference: GOV-011949
Thank you for your email of 24 June 2021, asking for the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
1. Since rol -out of the Covid-19 vaccine began, how many people have made a claim to ACC for
injury or harm relating to side-effects from the vaccine?
2. How many of these claimants have received, or wil be receiving, compensation?
3. What have been the most severe injuries or harm among all claimants (regarding side-effects
from the vaccine)?
4. In the 2014/2015 year, ACC paid $742,370 for claims relating to vaccine injury or harm. This
included $692,176 for compensation. In respect of the highest individual payout for
compensation, what was the injury or harm for which payment was made, and how much was
paid to that individual?
5. In the 2017/2018 year, ACC paid $320,819 for claims relating to vaccine injury or harm. In
respect of the highest individual payout for compensation, what was the injury or harm for which
payment was made?
6. In the 2006/07 year, ACC paid $238,286 for claims relating to vaccine injury or harm. In respect
of the highest individual payout for compensation, what was the injury or harm for which
payment was made?
We are responding to your request out of order, to better correspond to the level of detail in the
information ACC can provide. Your questions have been responded to individual y for clarity and ease of
reading.
1. Since rol -out of the Covid-19 vaccine began, how many people have made a claim to ACC for
injury or harm relating to side-effects from the vaccine?
Please find in the table below, the number of total COVID-19 vaccination claims and associated
treatment injury claims as at 21 June 2021. Please note that these claim numbers are active and as such,
are subject to changes. Updated COVID-19 data on the number of adverse effects resulting from the
COVID-19 vaccine can be viewed on the MedSafe website at the following link:
https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/safety-report-17.asp
Table 1: Total COVID-19 vaccination claim numbers, broken down by claim type and cover decision
Treatment Injury
claims
Accepted
22
Declined
14
No decision yet
91
GOV-011949
2. What have been the most severe injuries or harm among all claimants (regarding side-effects from
the vaccine)?
Severity of injuries
Measuring the impact of an injury on a person is chal enging. Among other measures, ACC uses the
overal cost of a treatment injury claim as an indicator of the severity of the injury because general y
more costly claims have a more severe impact on the person injured. While not always directly related,
overall cost is one measure of severity and impact.
Another measure is comparing the number of people who only need medical treatment for their
treatment injury with the number of people who receive additional support as well as treatment. An
entitlement claim is a claim that has received additional support such as weekly compensation or social
or vocational rehabilitation for a covered injury as well as any funded medical treatment required.
We can advise that there are fewer than four clients receiving an entitlement for COVID-19 vaccine
related claims as at 21 June 2021.
ACC takes privacy seriously
ACC does not routinely disclose low value numbers related to claims. Accordingly, some of the values
provided in our response letter only indicate that the value is fewer than 4. This limits the potential for
particular individuals, or matters specific to certain individuals, from being identified. Withholding in this
way is necessary to protect our clients’ privacy. This decision has been made under section 9(2)(a) of the
Act. In doing so, we have considered the public interest in making the information available and have
determined that it does not outweigh the need to protect the privacy of these persons.
3. How many of these claimants have received, or wil be receiving, compensation?
We have interpreted
compensation as referring to the number of clients with a COVID-19 vaccine
related claim who have received a weekly compensation payment. As mentioned above, fewer than four
clients have received a payment for weekly compensation.
Your request for the number of clients who wil be receiving compensation is refused as ACC does not
record this information. This is because ACC does not have the ability to predict which clients
will be
receiving weekly compensation. As a result, your request is refused as the information does not exist.
This decision is made under section 18(e) of the Act.
It is important to note that ACC cannot predict future compensation numbers for clients.
4. In the 2014/2015 year, ACC paid $742,370 for claims relating to vaccine injury or harm. This
included $692,176 for compensation. In respect of the highest individual payout for compensation,
what was the injury or harm for which payment was made, and how much was paid to that
individual?
5. In the 2017/2018 year, ACC paid $320,819 for claims relating to vaccine injury or harm. In respect
of the highest individual payout for compensation, what was the injury or harm for which payment
was made?
6. In the 2006/07 year, ACC paid $238,286 for claims relating to vaccine injury or harm. In respect of
the highest individual payout for compensation, what was the injury or harm for which payment was
made?
Accident Compensation Corporation
Page 2 of 3
GOV-011949
On 2 July 2021, you confirmed that the costs you referenced for vaccine related claims were from our
response of 13 May 2021 (Ref: GOV-010430).
Please note that the information below has been identified for the most expensive claims accepted by
ACC from injuries arising from vaccinations in each year (based on the year in which the claim cover
decision was made). Claim costs may have been paid in years fol owing the decision being made on the
claim.
The highest payments for the years 2006/07 and 2014/15 were for claims resulting from the Influenza
vaccine. The highest payment for the 2017/2018 year was for a claim resulting from the Bacillus
Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine.
The use of BCG vaccine/product in treatment of bladder cancers
The information provided related to the BCG vaccine/product, concern instances where the BCG was
used for immunotherapy in the treatment of bladder cancer. The use of the BCG vaccine/product for
bladder cancer is not for the purpose of preventing the patient contracting tuberculosis, rather it is used
as an immunotherapy vaccine in order to increase the effectiveness of medications used in the
treatment of bladder cancer.
Injury and value of highest compensation payments
ACC does not routinely disclose details pertaining to individual claims. As such, we are declining to
provide the exact value of the highest compensation payments made and the injuries regarding these
claims to protect our clients’ privacy.
This decision has been made under section 9(2)(a) of the Act. In doing so, we considered the public
interest in making the information available and determined that it does not outweigh the need to
protect the client’s privacy.
How to get in contact
If you have any questions, you can email me 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.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Sasha Wood
Manager Official Information Act Services
Government Engagement & Support
Accident Compensation Corporation
Page 3 of 3
Document Outline
