Specialist Courts
Level 1, 86 Customhouse Quay
DX SX11159 | Wel ington
T: 04 462 6660
W: www.justice.govt.nz

SC-2023-517
4 April 2023

Richard
[FYI request #22106 email]

Kia ora Richard

Request for influenza deaths

Thank you for your request for data through the FYI website. You specifical y requested the
total number of influenza cases and deaths each month, for the last 10 years (not including
any Covid-19 cases or deaths). On 20 March 2023 this request was partial y transferred to the
Ministry of Justice. We can provide you the number of influenza cases reported to the coroner
each month, for the last 10 years. However, please note the vast majority of influenza deaths
wil not be referred to the coroner, so this data is only a small subset of total deaths from
influenza.

In response to your request please see Table 1.

Table 1 provides the number of deaths where influenza has been recorded as the
cause of, or contributing to the cause of death, notified to the coroner between 1 January
2013 and 31 December 2022.

This data may differ from previously released or published data. This data was extracted from
the case management system as of 20/03/2023. Cases are included based on the date the
case was notified to the coroner (this can differ from the date of death). This data includes
active cases. Active cases are currently under investigation by the coroner and are therefore
provisional. This data includes closed cases. Closed cases have been heard by the coroner and
findings have been issued.

This data counts instances where one or more of the keywords is recorded in the Medical
Cause of Death 1, Medical Cause of Death 2, Medical Cause of Death 3, Medical Cause of
Death Secondary, Provisional Cause of Death, or Final Cause of Death fields in the case
management system. Keywords searched: "flu", "influenza"

To find the information you have requested, we searched key words in the case management
system, meaning the search was dependent on the way in which the information was received

Specialist Courts
Level 1, 86 Customhouse Quay
DX SX11159 | Wel ington
T: 04 462 6660
W: www.justice.govt.nz

and recorded. It is therefore possible that we have not identified al deaths related to
influenza that were notified to the coroner.

If you are not satisfied with our response to your request, you can make a complaint to the
Chief Coroner. The Chief Coroner may be contacted by email to
[email address] or by writing to the Office of the Chief Coroner at DX
CX 10079, Auckland.

I trust this information is helpful to you.

Yours sincerely

Lara Dyer
Information Advisor I Specialist Courts
Ph: 04-466 2786 (DDI)
Email: [email address]

Table 1: Number of deaths where influenza has been recorded as the cause of, or contributing to the cause of death, notified to the coroner between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2022
Year
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Total
2013
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
7
2014
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
7
3
1
1
1
16
2015
0
0
1
0
2
0
1
2
3
0
0
0
9
2016
0
0
0
0
1
0
3
1
1
0
0
0
6
2017
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
1
1
0
1
6
2018
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
2
3
4
0
0
12
2019
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
2
1
0
0
7
2020
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2021
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
3
0
0
0
0
6
2022
0
0
0
1
0
8
6
1
0
2
0
0
18
Notes:
This data may differ from previously released or published data. This data was extracted from the case management system as at 20/03/2023.
Cases are included based on the date the case was notified to the coroner (this can differ from the date of death).
This data includes active cases. Active cases are currently under investigation by the coroner and are therefore provisional.
This data includes closed cases. Closed cases have been heard by the coroner and findings have been issued.
This data counts instances where one or more of the keywords is recorded in the Medical Cause of Death 1, Medical Cause of Death 2, Medical Cause of Death 3, Medical Cause of Death Secondary, Provisional
Cause of Death or Final Cause of Death fields in the case management system.
Keywords searched: "flu", "influenza"
To find the information you have requested, we searched key words in the case management system, meaning the search was dependent on the way in which the information was received and recorded. It is
therefore possible that we have not identified al deaths related to influenza that were notified to the coroner.

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