Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX11166 | Wellington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
22 February 2024
Chris McCashin
[FYI request #24521 email]
Our ref: OIA 109202
Tēnā koe Chris,
Request for information regarding non-disclosure agreements and sudden deaths
during the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out
Thank you for your email of 9 January 2024 to New Zealand Police (Police), requesting
under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), information on deaths during the rollout of
the COVID-19 vaccine and non-disclosure agreements. Specifically you requested:
are you able to confirm …… investigated any of the sudden deaths at the height of
the vaccine roll-out that were blamed on other causes and sought any Non-
Disclosure agreements from the health agencies - I suggest the deaths of the young
girls from adverse affects from the contraceptive pill be the first that are looked at.
On 26 January 2024 your request was transferred to the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) for
response under section 14 of the Act as the information you have requested is more closely
connected with the functions of the Coroners Court.
In response to the first part of your request, the Ministry does not hold information on
vaccination records for sudden deaths. Information on the COVID-19 vaccine records
relating to deaths of people may be reported to the coroner as part of their investigation.
However, as this information is held by the Coroners Court, it is excluded from the operation
of the Act under section 2(6)(a). I am refusing your request under section 18(g)(i) of the Act
as the information you have requested is not held by the Ministry, and there are no grounds
for believing that the information is held by another department, Minister of the Crown,
organisation, or local authority.
In order to respond to your request, the Ministry has interpreted ‘sought any non-disclosure
agreements from the health agencies’ to be a request for COVID-19 vaccine non-disclosure
agreements held by the Ministry with the Ministry of Health and Te Whatu Ora – Health New
Zealand.
In response to the second part of your request, the Act enables people to request official
information from Ministers and agencies. However, the Act only applies to information that
exists. The Ministry does not hold any COVID-19 vaccine non-disclosure agreements with
the Ministry of Health or Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand as the Ministry does not hold
information on vaccine records for sudden deaths. Therefore, I am refusing your request
under section 18(e) of the Act as the information you have requested does not exist.
If you require any clarification of the information contained in this response, please contact
Joe Locke, Media & Social Media Manager, on 021 636 416, or email [email address]
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to complain to the Ombudsman
under section 28(3) of the OIA. You can contact the Office of the Ombudsman by calling
0800 802 60; or emailing
[email address]. I trust this information assists.
Nāku noa, nā
Jacquelyn Shannon
Group Manager, Courts and Tribunals, Regional Service Delivery
