Ele Ludemann: Incompetence or worse?

Derek Cheng writes : Chris Hipkins says he never got the ‘unnecessary risk’ advice on teens and Covid vaccine. This Cabinet paper shows otherwise:

Then-Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins received advice about the potential risks of a second Covid-19 vaccine dose for teenagers at a time when tens of thousands of them had yet to get a follow-up jab.

The Phase Two report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response said the advice was never delivered to ministers, but the Herald has unearthed a Cabinet paper, in Hipkins’ name, from March 2022 that includes the advice in question.

It was from the Covid-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group (CV TAG), on December 9, 2021, and it covered the possibility of “unnecessary risk” of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) following a second dose of the Covid vaccine for under 18s.

It recommended considering changing the requirements of existing vaccine mandates – for the 12-17 age group – from two vaccine doses to one. . .

Labour’s response to pressure from the Government has leaned on the Royal Commission’s report, which said: “Ministers we interviewed could not recall receiving that advice, nor is there any evidence it was provided to them in the material we obtained from agencies.”

But Hipkins’ Cabinet paper indicates he knew of the advice, which was shared with Cabinet colleagues in a Cabinet Social Wellbeing Committee meeting (Hipkins is not listed in the minutes as being present at that March 2022 meeting).

Hipkins declined a request for an interview, and did not directly address the issue of making the advice public. . . .

What is known is how Hipkins responded once he was aware of the advice in question – in March 2022, when it was in his Cabinet paper, including how two doses “may add an unnecessary risk of myocarditis in this [12-17] population”.

He did not make any recommendations to change vaccine mandates based on that specific advice, nor was it shared with the public. . .

Did he not read the paper? Did he read it and not understand? Did he read it and ignore the advice?

The risk was low but that is no excuse to not tell the public and to continue to require a second vaccination.

At the very least this looks like incompetence, if not something worse.

Ele Ludemann is a North Otago farmer and journalist, who blogs HERE - where this article was sourced.