Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/32906-treatment-injury-claims-related-to-covid-19-vaccinations on December 11, 2025 17:15

treatment injury claims related to COVID-19 vaccinations

SPENCER JONES made this Official Information request to Accident Compensation Corporation

Currently waiting for a response from Accident Compensation Corporation, they must respond promptly and normally no later than (details and exceptions).

From: SPENCER JONES

Kia ora / Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,

I am writing to request the most up-to-date statistics on treatment injury claims related to COVID-19 vaccinations administered in New Zealand (including Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech, Spikevax/Moderna, Vaxzevia/AstraZeneca, Nuvaxovid/Novavax, and any others used between 2020 and 2025).

Please provide the information in the same or similar tabular format as your previous proactive releases (e.g., the COVID-19 Vaccination Claims Refresh documents published on acc.co.nz, such as the July 2024 refresh), covering the full period from the start of the COVID-19 vaccination programme (approximately February 2021) to the latest available date in 2025.

Specifically, please include:
1 Total claims lodged for COVID-19 vaccine-related treatment injuries.
2 Claims by status:
◦ Accepted/approved for cover
◦ Declined
◦ Withdrawn
◦ Pending/under assessment
3 Accepted claims broken down by injury category/type (e.g., myocarditis/pericarditis, anaphylaxis, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), Guillain-Barré Syndrome, shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA), death, and any other categories including “other” – with details of what “other” comprises if possible).
4 Total payments made to date on accepted claims, including:
◦ Overall total amount paid out (in NZD)
◦ Breakdown of payments by category where available (e.g., treatment costs, rehabilitation, lump-sum compensation, weekly compensation, fatal claims)
◦ Number of claims that have received payments over certain thresholds (e.g., $10,000+, $50,000+, $100,000+)
◦ Any ongoing/future liability estimates for accepted claims (e.g., projected long-term costs)
5 Fatal claims:
◦ Number of accepted claims related to deaths
◦ Total amounts paid out for fatal claims
6 Confirmation that no other government organisations or departments (e.g., Ministry of Health, Te Whatu Ora/Health New Zealand, Crown indemnity funds, or any special COVID-19 vaccine injury scheme outside ACC) have made direct payments or compensation for COVID-19 vaccine-related injuries or deaths in New Zealand between 2020 and 2025. If any such payments have been made outside the standard ACC treatment injury process, please provide details and totals.

If the exact format of previous refreshes is no longer used, please provide the data in Excel/CSV or clear tables.

I request that this information be proactively released on the ACC website alongside previous COVID-19 vaccination claims refreshes, as it is of significant public interest.

Thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards, Spencer Jones

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From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation

Kia ora,

Thank you for contacting ACC’s Government Services inbox.

If your request falls within scope of the Official Information Act, we
will endeavour to respond as soon as possible, and no later than 20
working days after receipt of your request. If we are unable to respond
within the statutory timeframe, we will notify you of an extension.

 

The information you have requested may involve documents which contain the
names and contact details of individuals. Please let us know whether you
are seeking that information as part of your request. We may need to
consult before deciding whether we can release this information, and this
may take a bit more time. If we do not hear from you, we will assume that
you do not require it.

 

For more information about Official Information Act requests, please
visit: [1]Ombudsman New Zealand | Tari o te Kaitiaki Mana Tangata.

If your request relates to your claim, or you’d like more information
about lodging a claim, please contact ACC’s claims team at 0800 101 996
or [2][email address].

For personal information requests or privacy matters,
please visit [3]Request for personal information (acc.co.nz).

For general queries, please visit: [4]Contact us (acc.co.nz).

 

 

Ngâ mihi,

Government Services

PO Box 242 / Wellington 6011 / New Zealand / [5]www.acc.co.nz

ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email
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SPENCER JONES left an annotation ()

Public Awareness Post: New OIA Submitted for Full Transparency on COVID-19 Vaccine Treatment Injury Claims in New Zealand (as of November 2025)

Kia ora New Zealand,

A new Official Information Act (OIA) request has just been submitted to the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) seeking the most up-to-date and detailed statistics on all COVID-19 vaccine-related treatment injury claims processed under New Zealand’s no-fault ACC scheme.

This is of significant public interest because:
* Over 13 million COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in NZ.
* ACC is the only mechanism for compensation – there is no separate vaccine injury fund or payouts from the Ministry of Health, Te Whatu Ora, or any other government agency.
* The last detailed public refresh from ACC was in April 2024 (1,664 accepted claims, ~$9.65 million paid out). Some reports circulating in 2025 suggest the total may now exceed $14 million and 1,700 accepted claims, but this needs official confirmation.

What the new OIA is asking for (submitted 18 November 2025):
* Full breakdown of claims from the start of the rollout (Feb 2021) to the latest 2025 data.
* Claims by status (accepted, declined, pending).
* Accepted claims broken down by injury category (e.g., myocarditis/pericarditis, anaphylaxis, TTS, Guillain-Barré, SIRVA, deaths, and “other”).
* Total payouts (overall and by category), including high-value claims and fatal cases.
* Confirmation that no other government bodies have paid compensation outside ACC.

Direct link to the live public OIA request (track progress and see the response when it arrives – due within 20 working days):

Previous ACC Proactive Releases & Key Historical OIAs (for context):
ACC has historically released quarterly/monthly “COVID-19 Vaccination Claims Refresh” PDFs. Here are the most useful public sources:

* April 2024 Refresh (latest detailed one found): 4,156 total claims lodged, 1,664 accepted, $9.65 million paid.
https://www.acc.co.nz/assets/oia-respons...
* January 2024 Refresh:
https://www.acc.co.nz/assets/oia-respons...
* Older refreshes and related OIAs on FYI.org.nz (all public):
* Compensation for Vaccine Injury or Harm (2021, early data): https://fyi.org.nz/request/15888-compens...
* Injuries likely caused by the Covid-19 vaccine (2021): https://fyi.org.nz/request/16290-injurie...
* Number of ACC claims for Covid-19 vaccine injuries (2022): https://fyi.org.nz/request/18346-number-...
* GOV-01579 Data Related to Covid-19 Vaccinations (2023 update): https://fyi.org.nz/request/23749-gov-015...

These show claims and payouts have steadily increased over time, with myocarditis/pericarditis being one of the most common accepted serious injuries.

Why this matters
Transparency on rare but serious adverse reactions helps maintain public trust in vaccination programmes. ACC’s no-fault system means injured Kiwis can access support without proving negligence – but the public deserves to know the full picture in 2025.

Share this widely, follow the OIA link above, and feel free to submit your own follow-ups on FYI.org.nz.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones
#VaccineInjuryTransparency #ACC #OIA #NewZealand

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From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation

Attachment GOV 044491 Appendix.pdf
695K Download View as HTML

Attachment GOV 044491 Response.pdf
210K Download View as HTML

Kia ora

Please find attached our response to your official information request
dated 18 November 2025. If you have any questions about the response you
can contact us at this [1]address, for all other matters please use our
contact form at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us
a call on 0800 101 996.

If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here. 

 

Ngā mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services

* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011

ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.

 

 

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SPENCER JONES left an annotation ()

Public-Facing Annotation — Update on OIA #32906 (COVID-19 Vaccine Treatment Injury Claims)

Updated: 9 December 2025

ACC has now responded with partial information (reference GOV-044491).
Two key points:

1. ACC has withheld most of the requested data under s18(d)

ACC states that updated treatment-injury statistics will be published in January 2026 and therefore declined to release:
• total claims lodged
• accepted/declined/pending
• payments made
• fatal claims
• payment thresholds

This will need review once the January dataset is released to assess whether it actually covers everything requested here.

2. ACC did release a detailed breakdown of 1,769 accepted claims

(18 Feb 2021 – 21 July 2025)

The Appendix shows:
• Cardiac injuries: 187
• Anaphylactic reactions: 96
• Allergic reactions: 232
• Adverse drug reactions: 130
• SIRVA/shoulder injuries (various categories): ~150–200
• Serious outcomes (each <4): stroke (CVA), DVT, thrombocytopenia, encephalopathy, neuropathy, SJS, bronchospasm, pancreatitis
• “Unidentified” injury category: 231 — the third-largest category

This “Unidentified” group is unusually large and may require follow-up clarification.

3. ACC refused two parts under s18(g)

ACC states it does not hold:
• future liability estimates for vaccine-related claims
• information on whether other agencies (MoH, HNZ, Treasury) have made payments

These gaps may require follow-up OIAs to those agencies.

Next step:

Await the January 2026 Treatment Injury Refresh, and then compare it with the scope of this OIA to determine whether a refinement or Ombudsman review is needed.

Further updates will be posted here as new information becomes available.

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From: SPENCER JONES

To: Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)

Subject: Request for Clarification of “Unidentified” Injury Category in Appendix to GOV-044491

Dear ACC,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request clarification of the “Unidentified” injury category listed in the Appendix released on 3 December 2025 in response to OIA GOV-044491.

The Appendix records 231 accepted treatment-injury claims under the category “Unidentified.”

To better understand this classification, I request the following information:

⸻

1. Definition & Criteria

1.1 ACC’s definition of “Unidentified” as used in the Appendix.

1.2 The criteria or internal coding standards that result in an injury being assigned to “Unidentified.”

⸻

2. Diagnostic Status

2.1 Whether these 231 cases represent:
• injuries that were clinically diagnosed but not mapped to a standard ACC category,
• injuries still under clinical investigation,
• incomplete diagnostic information at the time of coding,
• legacy coding placeholders awaiting reclassification,
• or another reason.

(High-level explanation only — no personal or case-specific information requested.)

⸻

3. Coding & Reclassification Process

3.1 Whether ACC intends to reclassify any of these 231 cases into specific injury categories (e.g., cardiac, neurological, musculoskeletal) as part of future Treatment Injury Refresh updates.

3.2 If available, the proportion of these “Unidentified” cases that ACC expects will eventually be reassigned into known injury categories once coding or clinical information is complete.

⸻

4. Internal Documentation

4.1 Copies (or the title/index) of any internal guidance, coding rules, or documentation used when assigning treatment-injury claims to “Unidentified.”

If the documents are extensive, an index or excerpt of the relevant section is sufficient.

⸻

Format

I request the information in electronic form.

If any part of this request requires refinement, please advise.

Thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones

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SPENCER JONES left an annotation ()

Public Annotation – Follow-up Request on “Unidentified” Injury Category (231 cases)

Updated: 9 December 2025

This follow-up micro-OIA seeks clarification about the 231 accepted treatment-injury claims ACC classified as “Unidentified” in the Appendix to GOV-044491.

231 cases is the third-largest injury group, larger than many clinically defined categories such as cardiac injury (187) and anaphylaxis (96).
Because “Unidentified” is not a standard medical or ACC injury classification, this request asks:
• what “Unidentified” actually represents,
• why these claims could not be coded into known categories,
• whether they are awaiting diagnostic confirmation,
• whether ACC will reclassify them in the January 2026 Treatment Injury Refresh,
• and what internal coding rules were used.

No personal claim information is requested — only high-level clarification of the classification system.

Updates will be posted once ACC responds.

Link to this

From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation

Kia ora,

Thank you for contacting ACC’s Government Services inbox.

If your request falls within scope of the Official Information Act, we
will endeavour to respond as soon as possible, and no later than 20
working days after receipt of your request. If we are unable to respond
within the statutory timeframe, we will notify you of an extension.

 

Please note that during the holiday period there is a three-week period
where days are not counted as working days. This is from 25 December 2025
to 15 January 2026, inclusive. You can read more about this on the
Ombudsman website here: [1]Official Information requests over the
2025/2026 holiday period. 

 

The information you have requested may involve documents which contain the
names and contact details of individuals. Please let us know whether you
are seeking that information as part of your request. We may need to
consult before deciding whether we can release this information, and this
may take a bit more time. If we do not hear from you, we will assume that
you do not require it.

 

For more information about Official Information Act requests, please
visit: [2]Ombudsman New Zealand | Tari o te Kaitiaki Mana Tangata.

If your request relates to your claim, or you’d like more information
about lodging a claim, please contact ACC’s claims team at 0800 101 996
or [3][email address].

For personal information requests or privacy matters,
please visit [4]Request for personal information (acc.co.nz).

For general queries, please visit: [5]Contact us (acc.co.nz).

 

 

Ngâ mihi,

Government Services

PO Box 242 / Wellington 6011 / New Zealand / [6]www.acc.co.nz

ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email
unless it is really necessary. Thank you.

 

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information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
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From: SPENCER JONES

Request for Clarification of Myocarditis & Pericarditis Reporting in Treatment-Injury Claims (COVID-19 Vaccine)

Dear ACC,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request clarification regarding the reporting of myocarditis and pericarditis in the COVID-19 vaccine-related treatment-injury dataset released under OIA GOV-044491 (Appendix dated 3 December 2025).

Earlier ACC Treatment Injury Refresh documents (2021–2023) reported myocarditis and pericarditis as separate, named injury categories.
In the latest release, however, myocarditis/pericarditis has been aggregated into “Cardiac injury” without diagnostic breakdown.

To better understand this change, I request the following information:

⸻

1. Reporting Change Explanation

1.1 An explanation of why myocarditis and pericarditis are no longer reported as separate injury categories in the COVID-19 vaccine treatment-injury dataset.

1.2 Whether this change reflects:
• a change in ACC’s internal injury-coding system,
• a classification merge for reporting simplicity,
• reduced diagnostic specificity in clinical notes,
• or another reason.

(High-level explanation only.)

⸻

2. Reclassification Records

2.1 Whether ACC still codes myocarditis and pericarditis internally as distinct injury diagnoses (e.g., using SNOMED, Read codes, or internal claim taxonomy), even if the public summary aggregates them.

2.2 If so, please provide the number of accepted claims coded as myocarditis and the number coded as pericarditis for the period:

18 February 2021 – 21 July 2025.

Only aggregated totals are requested — no personal or case-level information.

⸻

3. Future Publication Plans

3.1 Whether ACC intends to reinstate separate reporting of myocarditis and pericarditis in the January 2026 Treatment Injury Refresh, or whether these conditions will continue to be reported only within the broader “Cardiac injury” category.

⸻

4. Supporting Documentation

4.1 Any internal coding guidance, reporting manuals, or classification-change notes that explain the shift from separate reporting to aggregated “Cardiac injury” reporting.

If extensive, an index or excerpt of the relevant sections is sufficient.

⸻

Format

Electronic format is preferred.
If any part of this request requires refinement, please advise.

Thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones

Link to this

From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation

Kia ora,

Thank you for contacting ACC’s Government Services inbox.

If your request falls within scope of the Official Information Act, we
will endeavour to respond as soon as possible, and no later than 20
working days after receipt of your request. If we are unable to respond
within the statutory timeframe, we will notify you of an extension.

 

Please note that during the holiday period there is a three-week period
where days are not counted as working days. This is from 25 December 2025
to 15 January 2026, inclusive. You can read more about this on the
Ombudsman website here: [1]Official Information requests over the
2025/2026 holiday period. 

 

The information you have requested may involve documents which contain the
names and contact details of individuals. Please let us know whether you
are seeking that information as part of your request. We may need to
consult before deciding whether we can release this information, and this
may take a bit more time. If we do not hear from you, we will assume that
you do not require it.

 

For more information about Official Information Act requests, please
visit: [2]Ombudsman New Zealand | Tari o te Kaitiaki Mana Tangata.

If your request relates to your claim, or you’d like more information
about lodging a claim, please contact ACC’s claims team at 0800 101 996
or [3][email address].

For personal information requests or privacy matters,
please visit [4]Request for personal information (acc.co.nz).

For general queries, please visit: [5]Contact us (acc.co.nz).

 

 

Ngâ mihi,

Government Services

PO Box 242 / Wellington 6011 / New Zealand / [6]www.acc.co.nz

ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email
unless it is really necessary. Thank you.

 

Disclaimer:

"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."

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