Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

Noting that the NZDF has retained an internal Covid-19 vaccine requirement for all service personnel since the vaccine rollout began in April 2021, and that service personnel cohort are statistically at greater risk of some adverse events (due to risk stratification by age of myocarditis and pericarditis in particular), could you please provide me with all details of the system that has been implemented by Defence to monitor for safety signals of adverse events in Defence personnel? This could include NZDF cooperation with the Ministry of Health to collect relevant information about service personnel from the New Zealand vaccine adverse event reporting system.
Specifically I would like to know what collection, analysis and reporting is occurring that relates to medical events (including serious medical events) within the NZDF which could correlate with vaccine administration, which could include attendance at medical facilities, visits to medical officers or other medics, visits and admissions to non-NZDF medical services including Accident and Emergency at the various DHBs, and any records of personnel requiring ambulance services and treatment.

I would also request a summary of all data collected using this system which should include useful information such as:
-the type, severity and frequency of all possibly related medical events
-the ages and sex of personnel effected
-how many vaccine doses they had received
-how soon after their last dose the event occurred
I also respectfully request any commentary provided to the Executive Committee or CDF regarding this system and these events, and any responses from the EXCO or CDF which is relevant.
Finally, I request the time period to be considered for this data from the start of the vaccine rollout within the NZDF (notionally April 2021) until present day.

Yours faithfully,

Casey Macmillan