Dear Health New Zealand,

Health New Zealand previously named by regional DHB's rolled out the vaccination centres in 2021.

Was a risk assessment carried out by Health & Safety risk Management on the Pfizer Comirnaty Vaccine, based on the SDS safety protocols / data sheet from Pfizer?
If these assessments were carried out, please supply the relevant correspondence, whether emails, whats app messages, texts or meeting minutes.

Were all staff working in these centres given the SDS/risk analysis of the product that they were handling, storing & exposed to in their workplace? Please supply relevant correspondence, whether emails, whats app messages, texts & meeting minutes.

Were all staff handling the vaccines advised on what PPE was appropriate for the task, based on the standard operation procedure? Please supply relevant correspondence, whether emails, whats app messages, texts & meeting minutes.

Yours faithfully,

gerald

Dear hnzOIA,

Thank you for your response dated 14 November 2025.

I request that Health New Zealand urgently reconsider its refusal under section 18(e) of the OIA.
There are several issues with the decision:

1. The OIA requires agencies to actually answer the questions asked.
Referring me to a publicly available guideline does not address my specific questions regarding:
Whether SDS-based Health & Safety risk assessments were carried out.
Whether staff were provided SDS or hazard information.
What PPE instructions or guidance were issued.
The correspondence and internal communications surrounding these matters.

2. The refusal under s18(e) is implausible." Your requests for relevant correspondence, emails, WhatsApp messages, texts and meeting minutes has been refused under section 18(e) of the OIA as this information does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found." All DHBs and Health NZ must, under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, conduct and document hazard management, risk analyses, and safe-handling guidelines—especially for temperature-sensitive biological substances requiring dilution, PPE, and specialised handling. You have supplied the "National Immunisation Operating Guidelines for COVID-19 Vaccines and General Operating Guidance" This guideline highlights Public-facing guidance, Internal SOPs, National training modules, DHB vaccination centre handbooks & MoH evidence of risk planning for cold-chain breaches. This reply is contradictory to your reply of "information does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found."

Given the scale of the national vaccination programme rollout in 2021, Particularly Highbrook in Auckland being the first of its kind. It is extremely unlikely that no risk assessments, SDS documents, staff guidance, emails, texts, briefing notes, meeting minutes, SOPs exist anywhere within Health NZ or the former DHBs. Health NZ has inherited all DHB records, therefore the information must exist in your custody.

3. No evidence was provided of “reasonable efforts to locate the information.”
Please specify:
Which offices and regional teams were contacted
What repositories were searched
What search terms were used
Whether former DHB COVID-19 vaccination teams were consulted
Whether SOP repositories, IMAC guidance, or vaccine logistics teams were searched.

4. You did not consider partial release or transfer under section 14 of the Official Information act.
If some information is not held by Health NZ but is held by another agency, please transfer as required.

5. If information does not exist, please issue a section 23 statement under the Official Information Act (OIA) ,explaining the reasons for the absence of the required risk assessments or staff safety documentation, given statutory health and safety obligations during vaccine handling.

I therefore request a full reconsideration of your decision and a fresh response within 10 working days. Failure to supply the information requested will result in a complaint to the Ombudsman.
I look forward to your reply.

Gerald