Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your request for official information received on 19
September 2021 for:

 

"What specific metrics (eg transmission, cases, ICU capacity, deaths,
long-term sequela) does The Ministry of Health believe will be benefited,
in the interest of public health, as a result of a mass vaccination
programme?

 

On what balance of evidence does The Ministry of Health believe that a
mass vaccination programme is likely to achieve public health goals, as
measured by those metrics? How has the most recent and best quality data
been weighed, both for and against the push for mass vaccination? What
unsolicited influence has The Ministry of Health received, regarding these
decisions?

 

Considering the most recent and best quality data, how has The Ministry of
Health considered these issues as it relates to age, gender, preexisting
medical conditions, and other factors that are correlated to both vaccine
efficacy and vaccine safety (eg
[1]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
What unsolicited influence has The Ministry of Health received, regarding
these decisions?

 

How has The Ministry of Health considered the possibility that, if a mass
vaccination programme fails to achieve those metrics, as identified above,
and/or results in as yet unknown adverse vaccine reactions, the push for a
mass vaccination programme will lead to loss of faith in the public health
system, and more broadly a loss of faith in “the government”? What
unsolicited influence has The Ministry of Health received, regarding these
decisions?

 

What other preventative interventions (eg sunshine, fresh air, maintaining
a healthy weight, specific nutritional supplements, alternate
pharmaceutical interventions, effective treatments, natural immunity
post-infection) has The Ministry of Health considered, as alternatives to
mass vaccination, to achieve the public health goals, as measured by the
metrics identified, above? On what balance of evidence has The Ministry of
Health opted to pursue a mass vaccination programme, instead of (or at
least much more vigorously than) other preventative interventions? What
unsolicited influence has The Ministry of Health received, regarding these
decisions?

 

What other factors has The Ministry of Health considered, in weighing the
risk/benefit analysis of pushing for a mass vaccination programme? How
have those other factors been considered, both for and against the push
for mass vaccination? What unsolicited influence has The Ministry of
Health received, regarding these decisions?

 

If any of these questions lead to a an answer along the lines of “this was
not taken into consideration”, please explain why they were not
considered.”

 

A secondary request for official information was received on 19 September
2021 for:

 

“I would like to think that The Ministry of Health had robust pandemic
planning protocols in place, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic that
originated in late 2019 and early 2020.

When and how did The Ministry of Health first become aware of
SARS-Cov-2/Covid-19 (by any name) as a potential threat to public health
in New Zealand?

How has The Ministry of Health assessed the public health threat of
Covid-19, in relation to pandemic planning and pandemic response? How has
that assessment changed over time?

How has New Zealand's response to the Covid-19 pandemic aligned with
pre-Covid pandemic planning? How has that changed over time?

How has New Zealand's response to the Covid-19 pandemic deviated from
pre-Covid pandemic planning? How has that changed over time?

What factors account for any deviations from pre-Covid pandemic planning?

What factors are being considered/monitored, in regards to future
deviations from pre-Covid pandemic planning?

How is data about the evolving SARS-Cov-2 virus, and the Covid-19 disease
which it causes, prevention, treatments, pandemic response in other
countries/jurisdictions (eg Israel, Sweden), and other factors shaping how
New Zealand's Covid-19 response aligns with, or deviates from, pre-Covid
plans, in the future?

What unsolicited influence has The Ministry of Health received, or is
aware of, regarding any of the questions asked?”

 

The Ministry of Health has consolidated your requests under reference
number: H202112576.

 

As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Ministry will
endeavour to respond to your all parts of your request no later than 15
October 2021, being 20 working days after the day your first request was
received.

 

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic response, the Ministry is experiencing
significantly higher volumes of queries and requests for information. If
we are unable to respond to your request within this time frame, we will
notify you of an extension of that time frame.

 

If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.

 

Ngâ mihi

 

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [2][email address]

 

 

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References

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1. https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
2. mailto:[email address]