15 February 2024
Chris McCashin
[FYI request #25034 email]
Tēnā koe Chris
Official information request HNZ00033530
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) for:
Please provide in full the Pay-per-dose system data that was recently released.
Please note I require no personal data and information can be coded. As I
understand it the data includes amongst other things.
Vaccine Batch Number
Site of Vaccination
Dates of Vaccination
Dates of Birth
Dates of Death
Can you also provide as follows
- A list of all journalists / media who have requested this data / seen it
- A list of external parties outside of government agencies who have this data -
if any
I note the Ministry of Health has
- Not confirmed the data is false
- Have instead said it is "misinformation" - unfortunately the data is the data
and further analysis needs to be done by external parties
- Have instead taken steps to seal this data
Given the data has already been out there I suspect this is a simple download
that can be provided. If the data hasn't been provided to media companies
please include the response to them. If the data isn't provided - then this
wil fuel conspiracy theorists as being vindicated and instead goes further to
cover things up.
As you may be aware, Te Whatu Ora has made a number of statements on this issue, which
may be of use answering some of your queries:
• 1 Dec -
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/whats-happening/news-and-updates/reminder-of-
vaccine-safety-and-effectiveness-following-release-of-misinformation/
• 3 Dec -
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/whats-happening/news-and-updates/investigation-
ongoing-into-release-of-data-and-spread-of-misinformation/
• 8 Dec -
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/whats-happening/news-and-updates/update-
unauthorised-data-breach-and-attempt-to-spread-misinformation/
• 22 Dec/updated 12 Jan -
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/our-health-system/data-and-
statistics/data-breaches/unauthorised-data-breach-and-attempt-to-spread-misinformation/
As has been made clear in these statements and our other messaging on the wider issue,
vaccination is safe and effective and everyone should keep up to date with their vaccinations to
protect themselves, their whānau and their communities.
You may be aware that, in relation to this matter, orders were made by the Employment Relations
Authority (ERA) on 1 December 2023. The Orders prevent all access, use, and publication of
information held by Te Whatu Ora on the National Vaccination Database, or any copies, extracts or
information derived from it.
In addition, Te Whatu Ora takes the security and privacy of health data very seriously. Although we
acknowledge that information involved in the breach appears to include anonymised data, the ERA
has explicitly acknowledged this as confidential and personal health information, and we therefore
consider there is a residual privacy interest in the information. Accordingly, the information is
withheld under the following sections of the Act:
• 6(c), as its release would likely prejudice the maintenance of the law;
• 9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons, including deceased natural persons; and
• 9(2)(ba)(ii), to protect information that is subject to an obligation of confidence and making it
available would likely damage the public interest.
Finally, on your request for information as to which journalists have requested the data, I can
confirm that no media requesters have requested the data. We do not hold information as to which
may have seen it, so this part of your request is refused under section 18(g). In terms of which
external parties have accessed the leaked data, naturally we do not hold this information.
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
by phoning 0800 802 602.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Danielle Coe
Manager (OIA) Government Services
Office of the Chief Executive
TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
Te Whatu Ora, PO Box 793,
Wel ington 6140, New Zealand
