17 March 2023
J Bruning
[FYI request #22086 email]
Ref: OIA-2022/23-0660
Dear J Bruning
Official Information Act request regarding the Pfizer COVID-19 post-marketing report
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 13 March 2023.
You have requested:
“…Please supply urgently, between 27 February 2021 and 9 March 2021
the following information:
[a] All discussions via WhatsApp, Signal, Messenger, private email,
Parliamentary or political party email by DPMC and Cabinet officials
discussing Pfizer, BioNTech, the post-marketing report, FDA, deaths and
adverse events.
[b] All reports, releases, memos, advice received by DPMC including
Cabinet officials and Ministers discussing and/or reviewing the
implications of, contents, evidence in the post-marketing report supplied
as a requirement in the Gazette conditions, and taking all steps to
reasonably consider the harm profile to the population who were not at
risk of hospitalisation or death from COVID-19 (required by Health Act,
Part3A, s.92, Overarching Principles). This includes the risk to pregnant
women, young people and children.
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fww
w.legislation.govt.nz%2Fact%2Fpublic%2F1956%2F0065%2Flatest%2Fw
hole.html%23DLM307296&data=05%7C01%7Cinformation%40dpmc.govt
.nz%7Cc90bd35d92f2466779fd08db2360ae84%7Ceea6053309ef4b7a94
060f38551cc613%7C0%7C0%7C638142670840625705%7CUnknown%7
CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1
haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bzEDssnq%2
BiwQOR3Z3jHeCODxUaksIdRMapiIuOJMCkI%3D&reserved=0
This cohort [group 4], 2 million people, were targeted by the Minister for
COVID-19 to be injected from July 2021. General civil society would be
required to be injected to work, to access services and public facilities.
Therefore, it would be expected that a risk-benefit analyses for these
individuals would be undertaken so as to protect public health, as required
by the overarching
4715643
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
64 4 817 9698 www.dpmc.govt.nz
legislationhttps://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%
2F%2Fcovid19.govt.nz%2Fnews-and-data%2Flatest-news%2Fcovid-19-
vaccine-rollout-
plan%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cinformation%40dpmc.govt.nz%7Cc90bd35
d92f2466779fd08db2360ae84%7Ceea6053309ef4b7a94060f38551cc613
%7C0%7C0%7C638142670840625705%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3
d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI
6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=W038AHfzbJFbswPtNj2v9%2
BeuJiaPf0c7ac4j4M7k2tY%3D&reserved=0
[c] All discussions via WhatsApp, Signal, Messenger, private email,
Parliamentary or political party email sent by DPMC officials and Cabinet
officials, including Ministers planning and discussing the signing of the
second agreement.”
The information you have requested is more closely connected with the functions of the
Ministry of Health (MoH). We would normally transfer your request to the MoH under section
14(b)(ii) of the Act. However, since you have made a similar request to that agency, we are
referring you to their response instead.
You have the right to ask the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate and review my
decision under section 28(3) of the OIA.
We do not intend to publish this response on the Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet’s website.
Yours sincerely
Clare Ward
Executive Director
Strategy, Governance and Engagement
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