Tēnā koe, 

Thank you for emailing the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
(DPMC). This is an automatic reply to let you know that your message has
been received.
DPMC cannot respond to emails that are outside its scope. If the subject
of your email does not relate to the work of DPMC, we may forward your
email to the appropriate Minister or agency who will respond to you
directly. To find out more about DPMC's functions please view our
website [1]https://dpmc.govt.nz.
If your correspondence is intended for the Prime Minister please email his
office at [email address]. Contact information for
other Members of Parliament can be found at
[2]https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involve....

Common questions:

Official Information Act (OIA) requests will be formally acknowledged
during office hours and actioned accordingly. For more information about
the statutory OIA timeframes please see
[3]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/.
For job opportunities within DPMC see
[4]https://centralagenciesjobs.cass.govt.nz... use this
website to apply for vacancies. Resumes received through other avenues
will not be considered.
New Zealand visas and requests for asylum are managed by Immigration New
Zealand. Please see [5]https://www.immigration.govt.nz/. 
We hope one of the above links helps answer your question.
Kind regards,
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
Link: [6]File-List
Link: [7]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [8]themeData
Link: [9]colorSchemeMapping

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[IN-CONFIDENCE]

 

Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA)
received on 11 March 2026, copied below. We will respond to your request
within the statutory timeframes set out in the Act. If we are unable to
meet these timeframes we will notify you.

 

Your request will be managed by the Ministerial Services team within DPMC.
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us at
[1][DPMC request email].

 

DPMC may publish the response to your OIA request. If we publish the
response your personal information, including your name and contact
details, will be removed.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

Ministerial Coordinator
Ministerial Services
Corporate
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
E    [2][DPMC request email]
 
 
The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
the intended recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or
communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

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[UNCLASSIFIED]

 

Kia ora,

 

Please see the attached letter regarding your recent OIA request.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

Ministerial Coordinator
Ministerial Services
Corporate
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
E    [1][DPMC request email]
 
 
The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
the intended recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or
communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

Link: [2]File-List
Link: [3]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [4]themeData
Link: [5]colorSchemeMapping

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The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
the intended recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or
communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[DPMC request email]
2. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
3. file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso
4. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
5. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml
6. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
7. file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso
8. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
9. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml

Kia ora John,

  

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act), received by the Ministry of Health - Manatû Hauora on 19 March 2026.
You requested:

 

“The following information relating to COVID-19 vaccination policies
between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022:
 

All Cabinet papers and Cabinet committee papers relating to:
 

• COVID-19 vaccination policy
• vaccination policy for individuals aged 12–17
• COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
 

A list of all Cabinet minutes and Cabinet committee minutes recording
decisions on the above matters. For each document please provide:
 

• the document title
• the date it was considered by Cabinet or a Cabinet committee 
• the originating agency.
 

Please also provide copies of the Cabinet minutes themselves.”
 

The reference number for your request is H2026080370. We will endeavour to
respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than
20 April 2026 being 20 working days after the day your request was
received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

 

If you have any queries regarding your request, please feel free to
contact the OIA Services Team on [1][email address]. If any
additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request,
please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be taken into
account. 

 

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

 

 

Ngâ mihi, 
 
OIA Services Team

Ministry of Health | Manatû Hauora

 

M[3]inistry of Health information releases

 

 

 

 

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]
3. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...

Kia ora,   
Thank you for your request for official information received on 17 March
2026 for: 
“I request the following information relating to COVID-19 vaccination
policies between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022:
All Cabinet papers and Cabinet committee papers relating to:
• COVID-19 vaccination policy
• vaccination policy for individuals aged 12–17
• COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
A list of all Cabinet minutes and Cabinet committee minutes recording
decisions on the above matters. For each document please provide:
• the document title
• the date it was considered by Cabinet or a Cabinet committee
• the originating agency.
Please also provide copies of the Cabinet minutes themselves.”
We are contacting you to clarify part of your request. Please clarify if
you are seeking the Ministry of Health policies only?
We look forward to receiving your response. 
Ngâ mihi,

OIA Services Team

Ministry of Health | Manatû Hauora

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Kia ora John,
Thank you for your clarification.
We are writing to advise that the reference number in the subject line of
the previous clarification was incorrect. The correct reference number for
which we are seeking clarification is H2026080370.
To ensure we understand your request correctly: your original request
referred to Cabinet papers and minutes, and your subsequent clarification
referred to correspondence. Could you please confirm whether you are
seeking

* correspondence (for example, emails) relating to the Cabinet papers,
or
* the Cabinet papers and Cabinet minutes themselves?

Once clarified, we will be able to progress your request.
Ngā mihi,

OIA Services Team

Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: John Armstrong <[FOI #34024 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 1 April 2026 14:53
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Clarification of your request for information, ref:
H2026080370 CRM:0001224
 
Dear OIA Requests,

To clarify, the documents sought would be correspondence between DPMC and
Ministry of Health and/or vice versa. This would include any third party
documents supplied to DPMC and / or Ministry of Health.

Yours sincerely,

John Armstrong

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Kia ora, 
 
Thank you for your request for official information, received on 19 March
2026 for:   
   
     “I request the following information relating to COVID-19 vaccination
policies between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022:
All Cabinet papers and Cabinet committee papers relating to:
• COVID-19 vaccination policy
• vaccination policy for individuals aged 12–17
• COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
A list of all Cabinet minutes and Cabinet committee minutes recording
decisions on the above matters. For each document please provide:
• the document title
• the date it was considered by Cabinet or a Cabinet committee
• the originating agency.
Please also provide copies of the Cabinet minutes themselves.”
On 2 April 2026, you advised the following clarification of your request: 
"I am looking for any correspondence (eg, emails, memorandums) between MoH
and DPMC with regards the content in the OIA."
We are contacting you in accordance with section 18B of the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) as your request, as it is currently worded,
is for a very large volume of information. Your request may be refused
under section 18(f) of the Act as the information requested cannot be made
available without substantial collation or research.   
   
The Ministry has conducted several searches of our systems, and each
search has resulted in tens of thousands or more documents. In order to
provide you with information sooner and in order to work within a more
manageable request, are you happy to refine your request to a selected
excerpt of results?
   
Please respond by 22 April so that we can consider your refinement in our
response to your request.   
   
We look forward to receiving your response. 
Ngā mihi,

OIA Services Team

Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora

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Kia ora,  
 
Thank you for your request for official information received on 19 March
2026 requesting:  
 
“I request the following information relating to COVID-19 vaccination
policies between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022:
All Cabinet papers and Cabinet committee papers relating to:
• COVID-19 vaccination policy
• vaccination policy for individuals aged 12–17
• COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
A list of all Cabinet minutes and Cabinet committee minutes recording
decisions on the above matters. For each document please provide:
• the document title
• the date it was considered by Cabinet or a Cabinet committee
• the originating agency.
Please also provide copies of the Cabinet minutes themselves.”
On 2 April 2026, you advised the following clarification of your request: 
"I am looking for any correspondence (eg, emails, memorandums) between MoH
and DPMC with regards the content in the OIA."
The Ministry of Health has decided to extend the period of time available
to respond to your request under section 15A of the Official Information
Act 1982 (the Act) as the request is for a large quantity of information
and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of
the Ministry and
the request necessitates a search through a large quantity of information.
You can now expect a response to your request on, or before, 19 May 2026. 
 
You have the right, under section 28 of the Act, to ask the Ombudsman to
review my decision to extend the time available to respond to your
request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[1][email address] or by calling 0800 802 602. 
Ngā mihi,

OIA Services Team

Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

Kia ora John,

 

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act) received on 19 March 2026 for information. You requested:

 

“I request the following information relating to COVID-19 vaccination
policies between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022:

 

All Cabinet papers and Cabinet committee papers relating to:

 

• COVID-19 vaccination policy

• vaccination policy for individuals aged 12–17

• COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

 

A list of all Cabinet minutes and Cabinet committee minutes recording
decisions on the above matters. For each document please provide:

 

• the document title

• the date it was considered by Cabinet or a Cabinet committee

• the originating agency.

 

Please also provide copies of the Cabinet minutes themselves”   

 

On 2 April 2026, you advised the following clarification of your request: 

 

"I am looking for any correspondence (eg, emails, memorandums) between MoH
and DPMC with regards the content in the OIA."

 

On 20 April 2026, the Ministry contacted you in accordance with section
18B of the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) as your request, as it
is currently worded, is for a very large volume of information. The
Ministry advised that your request may be refused under section 18(f) of
the Act as the information requested cannot be made available without
substantial collation or research.  As advised to you, the Ministry has
conducted several searches of our systems attempting to refine your
request, and each search has resulted in a large quantity of documents.

 

Pursuant to section 15(1)(a) of the Act, the Ministry of Health is writing
to advise you that a decision has been made on your request; however more
time is required to administratively process the information for release
and consult externally on the documents identified. In order to provide
you with information sooner and in order to work within a more manageable
request, we have focused our search to any correspondence between the
Ministry of Health and DPMC that relate to the topics you have indicated:
COVID-19 vaccination policy, vaccination policy for individuals aged
12–17, COVID-19 vaccine mandates.  

 

We will endeavour to provide you with the substantive information as soon
as practicable.

 

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

 

Ngā mihi,

 

 

OIA Services Team

Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora

 

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]