Confirmation of Pfizer vaccine: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
- What evidence was provided to the Scottish Government in relation to any change of evidence provided to the United States Food & Drug Administration in 2020 and the testimony provided to the European Union in 2022?
- Who within Pfizer, or other Covid vaccine providers provided confirmation of the vaccines preventing transmission?
- I would like copies of any and all paperwork (including minutes of meetings between Scottish Government ministers, advisors and civil servants with the vaccine manufacturers, as well as scientific papers and studies, advice provided by Scottish Government scientists and clinicians) that confirms vaccines administered by the Scottish Government prevented transmission of Covid between people?
- What testing of the vaccines was carried out by the Scottish Government and what were the results?
- Where no evidence exists of the vaccines preventing transmission from one person to another or between groups, who was responsible for advising the public to be vaccinated to prevent transmission?
- Who ultimately made the decision to use this messaging and what scientific basis was this made on?
- I would like copies of any and all paperwork ( including minutes of meetings between Scottish Government ministers, advisors and civil servants with the vaccine manufacturers, as well as scientific papers and studies, advice provided by Scottish Government scientists and clinicians ) that were directly involved in the decision to use messaging advising the public to have the Covid vaccine to prevent person to person transmission.
The Scottish Government introduced a "Covid Passport" that required people to prove that they had been vaccinated, so that they could enter many public places, such as public houses, restaurants & sporting venues.
- Based on the above, who provided the scientific advice and evidence to this course of action?
- Who made the ultimate decision to proceed with this course of action?
- What discussions took place between the Scottish Government, the hospitality industry and sporting bodies regarding the introduction of the Covid passport?
- Where no evidence exists for transmission prevention by the Covid vaccines, were the hospitality industry and sporting bodies made aware of this prior to the Covid passports being introduced?
- If there is no evidence to confirm that the Covid vaccines prevented transmission, did the Scottish Government take legal advice on the possibility of future legal action by businesses that were negatively affected by the introduction of the passports? A Yes or No answer will suffice.
- I would like copies of any and all paperwork (including minutes of meetings between Scottish Government ministers, advisors and civil servants with the vaccine manufacturers, as well as scientific papers and studies, advice provided by Scottish Government scientists and clinicians) concerning points 8, 10 & 11.
It is also noted that you have requested:
- I would also like copies of any and all communications relating to the preparation of answers to the above, including any and all Scottish Government advisors.
Response
What evidence was provided to the Scottish Government in relation to any change of evidence provided to the United States Food & Drug Administration in 2020 and the testimony provided to the European Union in 2022?
This is a formal notice under Section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
The Scottish Governments COVID Vaccination Programme is guided by expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The Scottish Government does not look at the clinical data itself, however we are guided by the MHRA who are responsible for the approval of clinical trials in the UK and licences the use of new medical products.
Who within Pfizer, or other Covid vaccine providers provided confirmation of the vaccines preventing transmission?
This is a formal notice under Section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
As outlined in response to Question 1. The Scottish Governments COVID Vaccination Programme is guided by expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The UK Government procured the contracts with the COVID-19 vaccine manufactures and are the principle contract owners. Therefore, you may wish to direct your request to the UK Government. You can find further information on contacting the UK Government on their website here.
I would like copies of any and all paperwork (including minutes of meetings between Scottish Government ministers, advisors and civil servants with the vaccine manufacturers, as well as scientific papers and studies, advice provided by Scottish Government scientists and clinicians) that confirms vaccines administered by the Scottish Government prevented transmission of Covid between people?
This is a formal notice under Section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested because the Scottish Government does not “administer vaccinations”. You may wish to direct your request to National Services Scotland (NSS). You can find further information on contacting NSS on their website here.
What testing of the vaccines was carried out by the Scottish Government and what were the results?
This is a formal notice under Section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested because the Scottish Government did not undertake any direct testing of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Scottish Governments COVID Vaccination Programme is guided by expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The Scottish Government relies on the MHRA who are responsible for the approval of clinical trials in the UK and licences the use of new medical products.
Where no evidence exists of the vaccines preventing transmission from one person to another or between groups, who was responsible for advising the public to be vaccinated to prevent transmission?
Under Section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
We reject the premise of this question as the Scottish Government was guided by expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the joint response from the four nations Chief Medical Officers (CMOs).
The First Minister advised the public of the Scottish Government position regarding the vaccination programme in her statement to parliament on 19 January 2021 and through her daily briefings. You may also wish to read the COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan (2021).
Who ultimately made the decision to use this messaging and what scientific basis was this made on?
As stated throughout this response, the Scottish Government is guided by expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). This advice then allowed for the First Minister, Chief Medical Officer and National Clinical Advisor to advise the public of the latest evidence available and informed the Scottish Governments vaccine response.
I would like copies of any and all paperwork (including minutes of meetings between Scottish Government ministers, advisors and civil servants with the vaccine manufacturers, as well as scientific papers and studies, advice provided by Scottish Government scientists and clinicians) that were directly involved in the decision to use messaging advising the public to have the Covid vaccine to prevent person to person transmission.
We reject the premise of the question as the Scottish Government followed expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which informed our public messaging. The Scottish Government released multiple media campaigns throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of the campaigns focussed on communicating the message ‘getting the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from serious illness due to COVID-19’.
One public engagement campaign entitled ‘Riskometer’ was designed to encourage compliance with COVID-19 protective measures while positive cases were rising. The “decision to use messaging” on the ‘Riskometer’ was approved by the First Minister in the attached submission (Annex A) which uses the line ‘getting two doses of the vaccine protects you and helps you stop spreading the virus’. This campaign ran from 9 August – 5 September 2021. The script for the ‘Riskometer’ campaign was reviewed and approved by clinicans prior to the First Minister approval.
On reviewing the information held within this document, an exemption applies under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. This has been applied under Section 38(1) Personal Information. Further information on this exemption can be found in Annex D.
You may also wish to direct your request to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), who is considered a separate entity form the Scottish Government under Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act. Further information on how to contact the CMO can be found on the Scottish Government website here.
The Scottish Government introduced a " Covid Passport " that required people to prove that they had been vaccinated, so that they could enter many public places, such as public houses, restaurants & sporting venues. Based on the above, who provided the scientific advice and evidence to this course of action?
Under Section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
The Scottish Government published the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine certification: evidence paper, which summarises the range of evidence available on vaccination certification schemes. Evidence is drawn from clinical and scientific literature, from public opinion and from international experience.
Who made the ultimate decision to proceed with this course of action?
Under Section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
The introduction of vaccination certificates was proposed at the Scottish Parliament and ultimately Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) voted in favour of the introduction of Coronavirus vaccination certificates to enter some events and higher risk venues. You can find the official report on the Scottish Parliament website here.
What discussions took place between the Scottish Government, the hospitality industry and sporting bodies regarding the introduction of the Covid passport?
Under Section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
The First Minister broadcasted a number of public statement regarding COVID Certification to ensure an open and transparent government, which can be found on the Scottish Government website here.
The Scottish Government has engaged with industries through the Event Industry Advisory Group (EIAG). This group was set up during the pandemic to represent the events and festival sector and provide a co-ordinated voice during the national response and recovery. You can find further information in relation to the group and notes of the meetings on the VisitScotland website here.
In addition, the Scottish Government engaged directly with football clubs and the governing bodies including Scottish Football Association (SFA), Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), and with Scottish Rugby, as well as working closely with sectoral organisation like the Scottish Tourism Alliance, UK Hospitality and Scottish Hospitality Group during the development of the certification scheme and during its implementation to ensure it was workable, addressed their issues and concerns that were raised.
In addition to the First Minister statements which are published I have also enclosed documents in Annex B. These documents are notes of the meeting with the stakeholders listed above. On reviewing the information contained within these documents, a number of exemptions apply under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. This has been applied under Section 38(1) Personal Information and Section 30(b)(ii) Free and Frank exchange of views. Further information on these exemptions can be found in Annex D.
Where no evidence exists for transmission prevention by the Covid vaccines, were the hospitality industry and sporting bodies made aware of this prior to the Covid passports being introduced?
We reject the premise of this question as the Scottish Government was guided by expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the joint response from the four nations Chief Medical Officers (CMOs). The Scottish Government also published evidence paper on COVID Certification provided in response to Question 8 and the engagement with relevant industries as outlined in Question 10.
If there is no evidence to confirm that the Covid vaccines prevented transmission, did the Scottish Government take legal advice on the possibility of future legal action by businesses that were negatively affected by the introduction of the passports? A Yes or No answer will suffice.
We reject the premise of this question as you have asked it on the basis that no evidence exists. As outlined in the response to Question 8 the Scottish Government published the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine certification: evidence paper, which summarises the range of evidence available on vaccination certification schemes. Evidence is drawn from clinical and scientific literature, from public opinion and from international experience. This includes information on the impact of certification on transmission risk.
I would like copies of any and all paperwork ( including minutes of meetings between Scottish Government ministers, advisors and civil servants with the vaccine manufacturers, as well as scientific papers and studies, advice provided by Scottish Government scientists and clinicians ) concerning points 8, 10 & 11.
Please see response to Question 8, 10 and 11.
I would also like copies of any and all communications relating to the preparation of answers to the above, including any and all Scottish Government advisors.
Please see enclosed response in Annex C. On reviewing the information contained within these documents, a number of exemptions apply under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. This has been applied under Section 38(1) Personal Information and Section 30(b)(i) Free and Frank provision of advice. Further information on these exemptions can be found in Annex D.
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