Labour leader Chris Hipkins says public were offered ‘informed consent’ on Covid-19 jab for teens

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is defending the then-Government’s move to mandate a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine for teenagers, despite advice of potential myocarditis risks.

A report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response said the advice was never delivered to ministers.

However, rel="" title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/chris-hipkins-says-he-never-got-the-unnecessary-risk-advice-on-teens-and-covid-vaccine-this-cabinet-paper-shows-otherwise/premium/QIIBV5UQNFDFVFCHY7VKXCGIJA/">the Herald has unearthed a Cabinet paper, in Hipkins’ name, from March 2022 that includes the advice in question.

It recommended considering changing the mandated requirements - for the 12-17 age group - from two vaccine doses to one.

Hipkins told Ryan Bridge TODAY this morning he “absolutely reads everything that comes through” but that this advice was amidst other findings.

“The Cabinet paper was initially looking at whether young children had been excluded from the vaccine through societal pressure, which then picked up the potential dangers of a second vaccine for under 18-year-olds.”

Hipkins told Ryan Bridge TODAY information around the risks of myocarditis were continuing to emerge as meetings were held and that it was nothing new to the public.

“At the time we were told by Medsafe and other health authorities to bring teens into the vaccine programme with two vaccines, which we did.

“We went to great lengths to inform public of the risks, to offer informed consent.”

When pressed on whether the mandate stayed in place until the day Cabinet considered the advice, Hipkins said it was removed “on exactly the same day”.

He said potential adverse effects were made publicly available at medical centres that administered vaccines and by health experts.

The Cabinet paper was from the Covid-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group (CV TAG), on December 9, 2021, about workers under 18, covered in vaccine mandates.

It raised the possibility of “unnecessary risk” of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) after a second dose of the Covid vaccine, which the mandates required.

Talking to reporters at a media standup last week, Hipkins agreed with the Royal Commission’s findings that the advice should have gone to ministers at the time.

“It’s a source of considerable frustration to me because it would have been material. Certainly, the fact it didn’t go to ministers until March was a massive failing on the part of the system as a whole.”

At the time, 92% of the 12 to 17 age group, a population of 350,000 to 400,000, had received two doses of the vaccine. That meant about 30,000 youngsters were yet to have a second dose.

Hipkins said they were “almost always” accompanied by a health expert, such as Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, at press conferences.

“I left any discussions around vaccine efficiency and safety to the health experts.

“It’s wrong to say we weren’t very open about what we were hearing and learning.”