"Covid vaccine does not prevent disease transmission" statement on your website in 2021

Erika Whittome made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health

Response to this request is delayed. By law, Ministry of Health should normally have responded promptly and by (details and exceptions)

From: Erika Whittome

Dear Ministry of Health,
A document called "covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect-v2.pdf " from your website says
"Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is an important step you can take to protect yourself from the effects of the virus. However, we don’t yet know if it will stop you from catching and passing on the virus. "

There is a copy of this document from 26 Feb 2021 on web.archive.org here
https://web.archive.org/web/202102261601...

This document "covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect-v2.pdf " was removed sometime after February 2021 from the Ministry of Health's Website.

It is clear the Pfizer Covid 19 vaccine was not tested for a reduction in disease transmission and "The mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 did not prevent human-to-human transmission nor prevent COVID-19 infection in the way that traditional vaccines have been able to do " which is from page 257 of the 4 Dec 2024 report on Covid from the US Whitehouse https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/up...

Kindly provide the following information:
1. The meeting minutes for when the decision to remove this document "covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect-v2.pdf " from the Ministry of Health's website, eg CVTAG or other was made.
2. Any emails, memos, aide memoirs, reports, correspondence etc about the "covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect-v2.pdf " document prior to the decision to remove the document and page from the Ministry of Health's website.

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome

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From: OIA Requests


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Kia ora Erika, 

 

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act), received by the Ministry of Health on 13 May 2025. You requested:

 

"A document called "covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect-v2.pdf " from your
website says
"Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is an important step you can take to protect
yourself from the effects of the virus.  However, we don’t yet know if it
will stop you from catching and passing on the virus. "

There is a copy of this document from 26 Feb 2021 on web.archive.org here
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
 

This document "covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect-v2.pdf " was removed
sometime after February 2021 from the Ministry of Health's Website.

It is clear the Pfizer Covid 19 vaccine was not tested for a reduction in
disease transmission and "The mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 did not prevent
human-to-human transmission nor prevent COVID-19 infection in the way that
traditional vaccines have been able to do " which is from page 257 of the
4 Dec 2024 report on Covid from the US Whitehouse
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Kindly provide the following information:
1. The meeting minutes for when the decision to remove this document
"covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect-v2.pdf " from the Ministry of Health's
website, eg CVTAG or other was made.
2. Any emails, memos, aide memoirs, reports, correspondence etc  about the
"covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect-v2.pdf “ document prior to the decision
to remove the document and page from the Ministry of Health's website.”

 

The reference number for your request is H2025066844. As required under
the Act, the Ministry will endeavour to respond to your request no later
than 20 working days after the day your request was received:
http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/.   

 

If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch ([1][email address]).

 

 

Ngā mihi 
 
OIA Services Team 

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1. mailto:[email address]

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From: OIA Requests


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Tēnā koe Erika

 

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act) to the Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) on 13 May
2025 for information regarding COVID-19 transmission. You requested:

 

1. The meeting minutes for when the decision to remove this document
"covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect-v2.pdf " from the Ministry of Health's
website, eg CVTAG or other was made.

2. Any emails, memos, aide memoirs, reports, correspondence etc  about the
"covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect-v2.pdf " document prior to the decision
to remove the document and page from the Ministry of Health's website.

 

Your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act as no information
has been identified within scope of your request. It is standard practice
to archive publicly available materials when they are superseded by newer,
more accurate, or more complete information as part of routine information
management and quality assurance processes.

 

A later version of the document you refer to was available on the
Ministry’s website in mid-March 2021. This version includes the statement
you refer to: Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is an important step you can take
to protect yourself from the effects of the virus.  However, we don’t yet
know if it will stop you from catching and passing on the virus:
[1]web.archive.org/web/20210325023855/https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/....
The associated page and the factsheet were archived at the end of March
2021, and redirected to the Unite Against COVID-19 website:
[2]web.archive.org/web/20210526043746/https://covid19.govt.nz/covid-19-vaccine...

 

The Unite Against COVID-19 website then had an updated version of the
factsheet:
[3]https://web.archive.org/web/202107280011...
which amended the line.

 

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:
[4][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: [5][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602.  

 

 

 

Ngā mihi 

  

OIA Services Team

Ministry of Health  | Manatū Hauora 

M[6]inistry of Health information releases 

 

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References

Visible links
1. https://web.archive.org/web/202103250238...
2. https://web.archive.org/web/202105260437...
3. https://web.archive.org/web/202107280011...
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...

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