The Ministry of Health has admitted it failed to promptly pass expert advice to ministers about COVID 19 vaccine mandates for 12 to 17 year olds, following the release of the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s final report.

The report found official advice cautioning against mandating two doses of the Pfizer COVID 19 vaccine for under 18s, because of the increased risk of myocarditis, was not passed on to ministers.

Despite those concerns being raised by experts, the two dose vaccine mandate for the age group remained in place.

Ministry of Health Deputy Director General of the Public Health Agency Dr Andrew Old acknowledged the issue and said the standard expected had not been met.

“We acknowledge the Commission’s finding that this was a significant failing,” Old said.

“We recognise the importance of timely, evidence based communication for maintaining public trust and confidence. In this instance, the standard was not met.”

“The Ministry is the Lead Response Agency to the Royal Commission’s Final Report and we will now work with other public service agencies to prepare advice for the Government on responding to the report’s recommendations,” Old said.

Old said the inquiry recognised the efforts of health officials during the pandemic but also acknowledged the impact the crisis had on New Zealanders.

“I want to thank all staff from across the health system and beyond who were part of the COVID 19 response, including those who gave evidence to the Inquiry,” Old said.

“I also want to acknowledge the many New Zealanders who gave evidence about the disruption and suffering they experienced during the pandemic, both because of the virus itself as well as the public health measures introduced to respond to it. As the Inquiry notes, both the pandemic and the response have left scars.”

The commission also found New Zealand’s overall pandemic response was effective, including the approval and safety monitoring of COVID 19 vaccines.

“The Commission found that overall New Zealand did well in responding to the pandemic and the decisions taken and methods used during the COVID 19 response were considered and appropriate,” Old said.

“In particular, the report highlighted the process for approving COVID 19 vaccines and monitoring safety was robust and effective.”

Old said the advice in question related specifically to whether it was justified to impose vaccine mandates on teenagers based on their relative health risk, rather than the safety of the vaccine itself.

“In this case, the advice was specifically about whether it was justified to impose a vaccine mandate on this age group, based on the relative risk to health,” Old said.

“The advice was not about balancing the overall benefits and risks of the Comirnaty COVID 19 vaccine for this age group.”

He said the Pfizer vaccine remains approved for use in teenagers in New Zealand and many other countries.

“The Comirnaty COVID 19 vaccine remains approved for use in New Zealand and in many countries for this age group.”

Old also encouraged eligible people to stay up to date with vaccinations as COVID 19 cases rise again in the community.

“Vaccination, including for COVID 19, remains a critical tool for protecting the health of New Zealanders. With New Zealand currently experiencing a rise in COVID 19 in the community, I encourage eligible people, and particularly those at greater risk of poor outcomes from COVID 19, to consider an additional dose.”