Pursuant to clause 9B(12) of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021, I, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health, determine criteria in Schedule 1 below as specified COVID-19 vaccination exemption criteria.
Schedule 1
Step |
Vaccine |
Category |
Criteria Details |
1 |
All COVID-19 Vaccines |
1A. COVID-19 Infection |
Note: Chronic symptoms following COVID-19 (“Long COVID”) is not a contraindication to COVID-19 vaccine but does warrant a clinical discussion with the patient regarding the benefits and risks. |
1B. Serious Adverse Event to previous dose |
|
||
1C. Unable to tolerate administration due to risk to self or others |
Unable to tolerate vaccine administration with resulting risk to themselves or others. |
||
2 |
Pfizer Vaccine |
2A. Anaphylaxis |
This criterion will be removed as an exemption when there is an alternative vaccine available in New Zealand. Many of these individuals will be able to be safely vaccinated in a controlled environment, and we recommend clinical immunologist/specialist assessment. |
2B. Myocarditis / Pericarditis |
Myocarditis/pericarditis following the first dose of the vaccine. |
||
2C. Inflammatory Cardiac Illness |
Inflammatory cardiac illness within the past 6 months including: acute myocarditis, pericarditis, endocarditis, acute rheumatic fever or acute rheumatic heart disease (ie, with active myocardial inflammation). |
||
2D. Acute Decompensated Heart Failure |
Acute decompensated heart failure. |
||
3 |
Trial Vaccine |
3A. Non-Placebo participant in a vaccine trial |
Those who are confirmed as having the vaccine (i.e., non-placebo) in any COVID-19 vaccine trial in Aotearoa New Zealand. |
Dated at Wellington this 12th day of November 2021.
Dr ASHLEY BLOOMFIELD, Director-General of Health, Ministry of Health.