133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
24 November 2021
A J Sheppard
By email: [FYI request #17271 email]
Ref:
H202114701
Tēnā koe AJ
Response to your request for official information Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) on 19 October 2021
to the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) for information regarding COVID-19 vaccines. You asked:
“Except for the pfizer/biontech covid vaccine has new zealand government taken delivery
or held in storage any other covid 19 vaccine?
The total number of pfizer covid vaccines that the new zealand government has donated
to the pacific community and any other countries?
The dates and corresponding quantities any pfizer covid vaccines donated were
distributed?
Were the donated pfizer covid vaccines sourced from stock held in new Zealand?
The total number of Astrazeneca vaccines donated to other countries?”
New Zealand has purchased a portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines from four suppliers: Pfizer,
AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Novavax. These vaccines have been secured through advance
purchase agreements directly with suppliers, via the COVAX Facility, and through resale
agreements with other countries. So far, Pfizer is the only COVID-19 vaccine available in New
Zealand, though work is underway to introduce AstraZeneca as an alternative option.
As of 21 October, New Zealand had donated 61,380 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine to the Cook
Islands, Niue, Tokelau, Samoa and Tonga. These doses were initially delivered to New Zealand
before being redeployed to these Polynesian countries. New Zealand has also donated
AstraZeneca’s vaccine to several countries in the Pacific. These doses were delivered directly
to the donee country (and therefore were not receipted in New Zealand). Doses allocated to
Indonesia (683,000) and Samoa (25,000) of AstraZeneca via COVAX were delivered the week
from 25 October 2021.
The table below outlines New Zealand’s donations to date.
Donation
Vaccine Type
Country
Doses Delivered Date Delivered
Pathway
18 May 2021 - 5
Cook Islands
22,950
October 2021
1 June 2021 - 30
Niue
2,370
September 2021
Tokelau
2,250
17 July 2021
Pfizer
Bilateral donation
From 20 October
Tonga
12,720
2021
21,090
From 21 October
Samoa
2021
NZ funded
Fiji
100,000
3 August 2021
purchase
Indonesia
683,000
Papua New
146,400
Guinea
Solomon Islands 28,800
Astra Zeneca
COVAX AMC
(211,200 delivered Samoa
25,400
October 2022
of 2.376 million
doses donated)
Timor Leste
24,000
Tonga
4,800
Tuvalu
4,800
Fiji
2,400
Total delivered to date
1,080,980
I trust this information fulfils your request. Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to
ask the Ombudsman to review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may
be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry of Health website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases. Nāku noa, nā
Jo Gibbs
National Director
COVID-19 Vaccine and Immunisation Programme
