Good afternoon Mr Richards

Your request below has been received and a decision on your request will be provided as soon as possible and no later than 1 May 2026. Responses to requests for information that are considered to be in the wider public interest will be published on the New Zealand Defence Force website (www.nzdf.mil.nz).

Regards

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force | Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa
www.nzdf.mil.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Mr Richards [mailto:[FOI #34315 email]]
Sent: Tuesday, 31 March 2026 11:37 a.m.
To: Ministerial Services <[NZDF request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Further review of COVID-19 vaccination in NZDF baseline schedule triggered by 11 March 2026 Immunisation Handbook change (ref 33924 / OIA-2026-5687)

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Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

This is a follow-up request under the Official Information Act 1982, referencing your response dated 30 March 2026 to OIA request 33924 (OIA-2026-5687) and the earlier response dated 15 January 2026 to request 33203.
In the 30 March 2026 response you stated that:
The routine annual review of the NZDF baseline vaccination schedule was completed by 5 February 2026.
The NZDF Vaccination Treatment Protocols were re-issued on 4 February 2026 (version 5.00) with no change to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
However, “the requirement is now under further review” because of the change in the New Zealand Ministry of Health Immunisation Handbook dated 11 March 2026.
Please provide the following information:
All documents, minutes, briefings, emails, risk assessments, decision records, or other material created or considered as part of this further review, including any assessment of how the 11 March 2026 Immunisation Handbook changes (particularly the risk-stratified approach and reduced routine recommendation for additional doses in healthy adults aged 30–64) apply to NZDF serving members and recruits.
The current exact text of Defence Health Rule 31 (post-4 February 2026) and the full Vaccination Treatment Protocols version 5.00 (re-issued 4 February 2026).
The timeline for the further review, including any expected completion date, interim findings, or next steps.
Any NZDF-specific analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 baseline requirement on recruitment, retention, or operational readiness, undertaken in light of the 11 March 2026 Handbook update.
Any documents relating to consideration of reinstatement or re-enlistment pathways for the personnel previously discharged for non-compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination requirement (~164 as previously referenced), in the context of the further review.
If, for any part of this request, you consider that specific documents do not exist, please explain why a formal further review of a baseline health requirement (triggered by an official change in national clinical guidance) would not have generated any written records, minutes, or decision documentation.
Given the public interest in NZDF personnel policy, force readiness, and recruitment at a time of known workforce pressures, I request that this response — and any documents released — be considered for proactive publication on www.nzdf.mil.nz.

Thank you.
Regards,
Mr Richards

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This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34315 email]

Is [NZDF request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to New Zealand Defence Force? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
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If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

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The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended
for the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not
necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence Force.
If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or
distribute this message or the information in it.

If you have received this message in error, please Email or telephone
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Good afternoon Mr Richards

Please find attached the response to your request for information.

Regards

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force
www.nzdf.mil.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Mr Richards [mailto:[FOI #34315 email]]
Sent: Tuesday, 31 March 2026 11:37 a.m.
To: Ministerial Services <[NZDF request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Further review of COVID-19 vaccination in NZDF baseline schedule triggered by 11 March 2026 Immunisation Handbook change (ref 33924 / OIA-2026-5687)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.
Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please forward the email to [email address] and then delete the email from your Inbox. Thank you

Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

This is a follow-up request under the Official Information Act 1982, referencing your response dated 30 March 2026 to OIA request 33924 (OIA-2026-5687) and the earlier response dated 15 January 2026 to request 33203.
In the 30 March 2026 response you stated that:
The routine annual review of the NZDF baseline vaccination schedule was completed by 5 February 2026.
The NZDF Vaccination Treatment Protocols were re-issued on 4 February 2026 (version 5.00) with no change to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
However, “the requirement is now under further review” because of the change in the New Zealand Ministry of Health Immunisation Handbook dated 11 March 2026.
Please provide the following information:
All documents, minutes, briefings, emails, risk assessments, decision records, or other material created or considered as part of this further review, including any assessment of how the 11 March 2026 Immunisation Handbook changes (particularly the risk-stratified approach and reduced routine recommendation for additional doses in healthy adults aged 30–64) apply to NZDF serving members and recruits.
The current exact text of Defence Health Rule 31 (post-4 February 2026) and the full Vaccination Treatment Protocols version 5.00 (re-issued 4 February 2026).
The timeline for the further review, including any expected completion date, interim findings, or next steps.
Any NZDF-specific analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 baseline requirement on recruitment, retention, or operational readiness, undertaken in light of the 11 March 2026 Handbook update.
Any documents relating to consideration of reinstatement or re-enlistment pathways for the personnel previously discharged for non-compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination requirement (~164 as previously referenced), in the context of the further review.
If, for any part of this request, you consider that specific documents do not exist, please explain why a formal further review of a baseline health requirement (triggered by an official change in national clinical guidance) would not have generated any written records, minutes, or decision documentation.
Given the public interest in NZDF personnel policy, force readiness, and recruitment at a time of known workforce pressures, I request that this response — and any documents released — be considered for proactive publication on www.nzdf.mil.nz.

Thank you.
Regards,
Mr Richards

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

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34315 email]

Is [NZDF request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to New Zealand Defence Force? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

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

The information contained in this Internet Email message is intended
for the addressee only and may contain privileged information, but not
necessarily the official views or opinions of the New Zealand Defence Force.
If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or
distribute this message or the information in it.

If you have received this message in error, please Email or telephone
the sender immediately.

hide quoted sections