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FOI reference: FOI 26-2460
Michael Betts
Right to Know
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Michael Betts
Decision on your Freedom of Information Request
I refer to your information access request of 25 November 2025 made to the
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the department) under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act). In your request, you sought access to:
undertaken a study to determine in mRNA Covid vaccines are associated with higher
mortality within 42 (or similar number) days
I am authorised under subsection 23(1) of the FOI Act to make decisions in relation to
Freedom of Information requests. I am writing to notify you of my decision on your
access request.
Consultation on scope of request
On 4 December 2025, the department contacted you by email noting publicly available
information and that the department has not conducted any study specifically
examining whether mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are associated with higher mortality
within 42 days. In this communication, the department sought your agreement to
withdraw your request noting the publicly available information.
On the same date, you advised you did not wish to withdraw and revised your request
as follows:
any study the department has undertaken that include any number of days.
Reasonable searches
The department has conducted reasonable searches for documents in scope of your
request. As per the FOI Guidelines at paragraph 3.150, these searches were undertaken
with reference to:
the subject matter of your request
the department’s current and past file management systems
the department’s record management systems
the individuals within the department with knowledge of the subject matter of
the documents, or who could assist with location of documents
GPO Box 9848 Canberra ACT 2601 - www.health.gov.au
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the age of the documents.
I am satisfied that the searches undertaken were both thorough and reasonable in the
context of the scope of your request, the resources of the department, and the
requirements of the FOI Act and FOI Guidelines.
Decision on access
Section 24A of the FOI Act provides that:
(1) An agency or Minister may refuse a request for access to a document if:
(a) all reasonable steps have been taken to find the document, and
(b) the agency or Minister is satisfied that the document:
(i)
is in the agency's or Minister's possession but cannot be found, or
(ii)
does not exist.
As outlined above, the relevant business area within the department has conducted
searches of the department’s holdings as per the FOI Guidelines at paragraph 3.150.
The department has not identified any documents matching the description in your
request. I am satisfied that all reasonable steps have been taken to find any other
documents in the possession of the department and that such documents do not exist.
I therefore refuse your access request in accordance with section 24A of the FOI Act on
the basis that the documents do not exist.
Legislative provisions
The FOI Act, including the provisions referred to in my decision, is available on the
Federal Register of Legislation website: www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A02562.
Your review rights
I have set out your review rights at ATTACHMENT A.
Contacts
If you require clarification of any matters discussed in this letter you can contact the
FOI Section on (02) 6289 1666 or at xxx@xxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Anna Morell
A/g Assistant Secretary
Data and Analytics Branch
18 December 2025
GPO Box 9848 Canberra ACT 2601 - www.health.gov.au
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ATTACHMENT A.
YOUR REVIEW RIGHTS
If you are dissatisfied with my decision, you may apply for a review.
Internal review
You can request internal review within 30 days of you receiving this decision. An
internal review will be conducted by a different officer from the original decision
maker.
No particular form is required to apply for review although it will assist your case to
set out the grounds on which you believe that the original decision should be changed.
Applications for internal review can be made by:
Email:
xxx@xxxxxx.xxx.xx
Mail:
FOI Section (Level 3 North)
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
GPO Box 9848
CANBERRA ACT 2601
If you choose to seek an internal review, you will also have a right to apply for
Information Commissioner review (IC review) of the internal review decision once it
has been provided to you.
Information Commissioner review or complaint
You have the right to seek Information Commissioner (IC) review of this decision. For
FOI applicants, an application for IC review must be made in writing within 60 days
of the decision. For third parties who object to disclosure of their information, an
application for IC review must be made in writing within 30 days of the decision.
If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your FOI request, you can lodge
a complaint with the OAIC. However, the OAIC suggests that complaints are made to
the agency in the first instance.
While there is no particular form required to make a complaint to the OAIC, the
complaint should be in writing and set out the reasons for why you are dissatisfied
with the way your request was processed. It should also identify the Department of
Health, Disability and Ageing as the agency about which you are complaining.
You can make an IC review application or make an FOI complaint in one of the
following ways:
online at www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/reviews-and-
complaints/
via email to xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
by mail to GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001, or
by fax to 02 9284 9666.
GPO Box 9848 Canberra ACT 2601 - www.health.gov.au
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More information about the Information Commissioner reviews and complaints is
available on the OAIC website here: www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/foi-
review-process.
Complaint
If you are dissatisfied with action taken by the department, you may also make a
complaint directly to the department.
Complaints to the department are covered by the department’s privacy policy. A form
for lodging a complaint directly to the department is available on the department’s
website here: www.health.gov.au/about-us/contact-us/complaints
GPO Box 9848 Canberra ACT 2601 - www.health.gov.au
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