133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T +64 4 496 2000
W www.medsafe.govt.nz
4 December 2023
Athina Andonatou
By email: [FYI request #24501 email]
Ref:
H2023033076
Tēnā koe Athina
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your two requests under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to Manatū
Hauora (the Ministry of Health) on 18 November 2023 for information regarding the safety and
efficacy of vaccines in New Zealand. Please find a response to each part of your request below.
…although I can determine what vaccines do contain aluminium as an excipient, it does not
state the dose of aluminium it contains. Again I ask that you please provide the dose of
aluminium contained in the following vaccines, which has it included as an excipient.
This is stil the original question as asked initially, it is now just more specific to the vaccines
contained in the New Zealand vaccine schedule that do have aluminium in them as an
excipients
1) Infanrix Hexa (Diphtheria vaccine + Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine + Hepatitis B
vaccine + Pertussis vaccine + Poliomyelitis vaccine + Tetanus vaccine)
2) Adacel Polio (Diphtheria vaccine + Pertussis vaccine + Poliomyelitis vaccine + Tetanus
vaccine)
3) Avaxim (Hepatitis A vaccine)
4) Bexero (Meningococcal vaccine)
5) Panvax (Influenza vaccine monovalent)
6) ADT Booster (Diphtheria vaccine + Tetanus vaccine)
7) ADT Vaccine (Diphtheria vaccine + Tetanus vaccine)
8) Boostrix (Diphtheria vaccine + Pertussis vaccine + Tetanus vaccine)
9) Engerix-B vaccine (Hepatitis B vaccine)
10) H5N1 Influenza Vaccine (Influenza vaccine monovalent)
11) Havrix 1440 vaccine (Hepatitis A vaccine)
12) Havrix Junior (Hepatitis A vaccine)
13) Hexaxim (Diphtheria vaccine + Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine + Hepatitis B
vaccine + Pertussis vaccine + Poliomyelitis vaccine + Tetanus vaccine)
14) Infanrix-IPV (Diphtheria vaccine + Pertussis vaccine + Poliomyelitis vaccine + Tetanus
vaccine)
15) NeisVac-C (Meningococcal vaccine)
16) Prevenar 13 (Pneumococcal vaccine)
17) TdaP-Booster (Diphtheria vaccine + Pertussis vaccine + Tetanus vaccine)
18) Trumenba (Meningococcal vaccine)
19) Twinrix (Hepatitis A vaccine + Hepatitis B vaccine)
20) Twinrix Junior (Hepatitis A vaccine + Hepatitis B vaccine)
21) Vivaxim (Hepatitis A vaccine + Typhoid vaccine)
Information in scope of this part of your request is withheld in full under the following sections of
the Act:
• Section 9(2)(b)(ii) - where its release would likely unreasonably prejudice the commercial
position of the person who supplied the information; and
• Section 9(2)(ba)(i) - to protect information that is subject to an obligation of confidence
and making it available would likely prejudice the supply of similar information, or
information from the same source
I have considered the countervailing public interest in release in making this decision and
consider that it does not outweigh the need to withhold at this time.
The quantity and type of aluminium contained in al the vaccines included in the NZ
Immunisation schedule?
Please provide me all the scientific studies, evidence or other documents which support the
statement made by the Immunisation Advisory Centre where they "did not find any
evidence that aluminium salts in vaccines cause serious or long-term health problems".
Information within scope of this part of your request was provided to you in a previous response
(H2023032541 refers). Medsafe stands by its response and has nothing further to add.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel free
to contact the OIA Services Team on:
[email address].
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
Manatū Hauora website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-
official-information-act-requests.
Nāku noa, nā
Chris James
Group Manager
Medsafe
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