1982
Act
Information
Official
the
under
Released
content consistently to ensure our community knows that
we are a place to go for correct information and regularly
advise on how to look out for accurate information.
We provide support to government agencies supporting
COVID-19 response to facilitate training and best practice.
COVID-19 Group and MoH are working jointly on providing
guidance to the health sector, businesses and community
leaders on responding to COVID-19 vaccine false
information.
Government cyber security agency CERT NZ is working
closely with other government departments to try to stop
scams and is the central coordination point for any COVID-
19 cyber security incidents and a public reporting point for
false information.
ENDS
under the Official Information Act 1982
Released
19
s 9(2)(a)
Stuff
Dis/misinformation Just wondering if you might You can attribute to a Ministry of Health spokesperson:
December
be able to comment on
2021
flyers featuring similar
branding to that of the
We’re aware of it and want to remind and encourage people
MoH/Covid Response. The
to only go to trusted sources of information when seeking to
1982
material casts doubt over
find out more about the virus and the vaccine.
the effectiveness of the
vaccine and does feature a Misinformation can b
Act e spread through a range of different
disclaimer in the fine print, channels including social media, traditional media
saying it is not an official
(television, radio and print), pamphlets, posters and
document.
letterbox drops.
It has been published by
One of the best ways to stop misinformation from spreading
the Voices for Freedom,
is by only sharing information from official sources like
and is the flyer featured in
covid19.govt.nz, health.govt.nz, karawhiua.nz, Ministry for
Information
this link.
Pacific People, or health provider.
Can the ministry comment We all have a responsibility to stop misinformation
as to whether it is aware of spreading, and we encourage people to only go to trusted
Official
this material being
sources to get reliable information.
distributed?
If so, has
the it taken any action We encourage social media companies to continue to be
to stop this happening?
proactive in helping to manage misinformation.
Does the ministry wish to
comment on the
If people see any examples of misinformation about COVID-
d
under istribution of this material 19 or the vaccine, whether it’s online or a physical
and others like it?
document, we encourage them to report it to CERT NZ
through their website or calling 0800 2378 69.
Our approach focuses on providing readily available reliable
information while building and strengthening resilience to
false information. We publish accurate, timely, reliable
Released
content consistently to ensure our community knows that
we are a place to go for correct information and regularly
advise on how to look out for accurate information.
We provide support to government agencies supporting
COVID-19 response to facilitate training and best practice.
1982
COVID-19 Group and MoH are working jointly on providing
guidance to the heal
Act th sector, businesses and community
leaders on responding to COVID-19 vaccine false
information.
Government cyber security agency CERT NZ is working
closely with other government departments to try to stop
scams and is the central coordination point for any COVID-
19 cyber security incidents and a public reporting point for
Information
false information.
Official
the
under
Released
3 October
s 9(2)(a)
Stuff
Dis/misinformation A group of anti-vaxxers
It is very disappointing to hear about this public display of
2021
targeted Nelson Col ege
false claims related to the COVID-19 vaccine in teenagers,
yesterday, including a stand especially when it is targeted at a school.
at the bottom of the school
drive which said 4 New
The claims are untrue and irresponsible and only serve as a
1982
Zealand teens were dead
threat to a successful nationwide vaccine rollout.
because of the "clot shot".
There have been no t
Act eenage deaths in New Zealand
I know the prime minister
reported to the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring
said two weeks ago there
(CARM) that are considered related to getting vaccinated
had been no deaths of any against COVID-19.
teenagers in New Zealand
related to getting
Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect people from
vaccinated, but could I
the virus. The Ministry of Health continues to encourage as
please have a response to
many eligible people as possible – that’s everyone over the
Information
the above?
age of 12 – to get vaccinated. We have enough supply to
vaccinate everyone by the end of the year.
The chief coroner Judge Deborah Marshall said earlier this
month that speculation an Auckland teenager’s death was
Official
related to theCOVID-19 vaccine was incorrect.
If there is a death that is linked to the vaccine, it would be
the
made public and reported accordingly. Just as we report the
sad deaths of people who have died from Covid-19.
Earlier this year we reported the death of a woman in her
50s who had received the Pfizer vaccine. The CV-ISMB
under
reviewed this case and considered that the woman’s death
was due to myocarditis, which is known to be a rare side
effect of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. They considered that
the myocarditis was probably due to vaccination. The case
has been referred to the Coroner and the cause of death has
not yet been determined.
Released
People should endeavour to get vaccination information
from reliable sources. These include the Unite Against
COVID-19 and the Ministry of Health websites, and their
social media channels, Karawhiua and Ministry for Pacific
Peoples websites as well as local DHBs, health providers and
GPs.
1982
If people come across any misinformation online, we urge
them to report it to th
Act e channel you see it on. You can also
report it online to CERT NZ: www.cert.govt.nz, email
[email address] or cal them on 0800 2378 69.
It will take a whole-of-society approach to build awareness
about misinformation and strengthen resilience to it.
Government, civil society, tech companies, media, academia,
business and the public all have a role to play, from
education, to communication, to ensuring public safety.
Information
Ends
Official
the
under
Released
5
s 9(2)(a)
Stuff
Dis/misinformation I had this letter (attached)
Please attribute any of the following to a Ministry of Health
September
sent to me from a
spokesperson:
2021
pharmacist in Napier who
was quite concerned by its The Ministry of Health’s focus is on providing clear,
contents.
consistent access to trusted and transparent information.
1982
We are aware, however, there is some material circulating in
I have contacted HBDHB,
the community that comments on the safety and efficacy of
who recommended I get
COVID-19 vaccines. M
Act aking false claims about COVID-19 and
comment from MOH. I
vaccinations is concerning, unhelpful and potential y
have attached the letter,
dangerous.
and I guess one of the most It is important that people use only reliable sources for their
concerning points is the
information and should carefully consider what they pass
suggestion of inhaling
on. We need a whole of society approach to combat
hydrogen peroxide through misinformation, not only by government agencies but also
a nebulizer.
academia and the media.
Information
Official communications about the COVID-19 vaccine will be
It also makes suggestions
from the Unite Against COVID-19, Karawhiua, and Ministry
that the Covid-19 vaccine
of Health websites, and their social media channels.
shortens your life and a few In addition, the Unite Against COVID-19 national public
Official
other points intended to
information campaign has been designed to ensure
scare its readers.
information is available to everyone in Aotearoa. This
the
includes content on television, radio, social media, in
Is MoH able to comment on newspapers and maildrops in letterboxes.
the contents of this "fact
If people see any examples of misinformation about the
checked" letter and the
vaccine, whether it’s online or a physical document, they can
d
under angerous message that it's report it to CERT NZ by emailing: [email address]. If
portraying?
people see COVID-19 misinformation on social media, they
should report it to the social media platform it appears on.
According to the DHB, it's
been circling around NZ for
a while. If someone could
come back to me before
Released
1pm that would be great.
22 August s 9(2)(a)
Stuff
Dis/misinformation Last Saturday (Aug 14), an
Referred to main team
2021
article about a North Shore
nurse who peddled
conspiracy theories on
Wechat got published on
1982
Stuff. The nurse Judy Zhu
told a group of 300
neighbours on July 31 that
Act
the government has been
hiding information about
people who have tested
positive at her clinic -
Apollo Medical Centre -
which has been verified by
Apollo to be false. Information
The story was translated by
NZ Chinese media this
Monday, and widely read
Official
by the Chinese community
over WeChat. On Tuesday,
the gove
the rnment announced
the community case, and
many Chinese Kiwis are
now posting on social
m
under edia that the nurse is a
"whistleblower" and that
the government is indeed
hiding cases that were
earlier found in the
community.
Released
The fact that the current
Auckland cluster is largely
linked to the North Shore
further fuelled people's
discussions online, drawing
links between the two
1982
incidents.
Since then, the Chinese NZ
Act
Herald has posted an article
on its WeChat channel
speculating that the nurse
is a "whistleblower" which
further fuelled readers'
discussions. This article
received over 17,000 clicks.
Information
Effectively, Covid
conspiracy theory shared
by a nurse, has now further
Official
fuelled more conspiracy
theories due to how
Chinese
the NZ media has
portrayed the incident,
could the ministry answer
these questions:
under 1. What do you think of this
particular incident of the
Chinese NZ herald
undermining the NZ
Chinese community's trust
of the government's Covid
Released
response through their
reporting?
2. Are you concerned about
Covid-19 misinformation
spreading on Chinese social
media, and Chinese ethnic
1982
media in NZ (such as the NZ
Chinese Herald, Skykiwi
etc?) And what actions will
Act
you take to address these
risks?
3. Has the Ministry of
Health spoken to any
Chinese NZ media about
expectations of their Covid-
19 reporting since the Information
beginning of the pandemic?
4. Has the Ministry of
Health spoken to any
Chinese NZ media (print,
Official
digital and radio) about
preventing the spread of
Covid-19
the misinformation
since Stuff's publishing of
the nurse article on
Saturday Aug 14?
5
under . Has the Ministry of
Health spoken to any
Chinese community leaders
about preventing the
spread of Covid-19
misinformation since Stuff's
publishing of the nurse
Released
article on Saturday Aug 14?
Furthermore, could the
ministry please give a
confirmation (provide any
related documents) to
1982
show that there were no
detected community cases
of Covid prior to August
Act
16?
Information
Official
the
under
Released
20 June
Melanie
s 9(2)(a)
Dis/misinformation I'm hoping to talk to
See below a response to your query, attributable to COVID-
2021
Carroll
someone for a story about 19 vaccine programme general manager communications
vaccine misinformation in
and engagement John Walsh
the workplace.
I was forwarded the email
The Ministry of Health’s focus is on providing clear,
1982
sent to business owners
consistent access to trusted and transparent information,
recently about how to deal and we concur with the information provided on the
with this, and was
business.govt.nz site
Act .
interested in whether it
We are also heartened by the latest consumer research,
had been sparked by
which has shown 80% of New Zealanders say they are likely
anything in particular. Are
to get vaccinated or have already been vaccinated, up from
they any specific concerns
69% in March.
the Government has? What We are aware, however, there is some material circulating in
information is there around the community that comments on the safety and efficacy of
vaccine misinformation in
the COVID-19 vaccines.
Information
the workplace?
It is important that people use only reliable sources for their
information and should carefully consider what they pass
on.
We need a whole of society approach to combat
Official
misinformation, not only by government agencies but also
academia and the media.
the
Official communications about the COVID-19 vaccine will be
from Unite Against COVID-19 and the Ministry of Health
websites.
If people see any examples of misinformation about the
under
vaccine, whether it’s online or a physical document, they can
report it to CERT NZ by emailing: [email address].
If people see COVID-19 misinformation on social media, they
should report it to the social media platform it appears on.
Released
