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Glossary | Rārangi kupu

Term	Definition
ACC	See ‘Accident Compensation Corporation’.
Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) \| Te Kaporeihana Āwhina Hunga Whara	The New Zealand public service agency that administers the no-fault accidental injury compensation scheme.
adenovirus vector vaccines	A type of viral vector vaccine that uses a modified adenovirus to deliver genetic instructions, enabling the body to produce proteins that trigger an immune response.
Advanced Purchase Agreement	A type of contract that was used throughout the pandemic to secure supplies of vaccines, personal protective equipment and other products. They were used to secure availability of products in the face of very high demand and provided suppliers with the certainty to scale up production, knowing they had a guaranteed buyer.
adverse events	Unintended, unexpected or unplanned events that occur to participants after they have received a medicine or vaccine. They are not necessarily related to the administration of the product and may be coincidental; however, they can be indicative of an adverse reaction (see below).
adverse reaction	Adverse reactions (often known as ‘side effects’) are undesirable or harmful effects suspected to be caused by a medicine or vaccine. Adverse reactions can range from mild to severe.
Alert Level System	The sliding scale of public health and social measures used in Aotearoa New Zealand’s COVID-19 response from March 2020 to November 2021. The sliding scale used four levels, called alert levels.
AstraZeneca	Pharmaceutical company that developed the ‘Vaxzevria’ COVID-19 vaccine.
Auckland Council	The local government authority for the Auckland region. It encompasses territory from Wellsford in the north, to Pukekohe in the south.
Auditor-General \| Tumuaki o te Mana Arotake	An independent officer of the New Zealand Parliament responsible for auditing public sector spending and performance.
Bell’s Palsy	A temporary weakness of the face due to damage to a nerve that controls the facial muscles. It usually happens to one side of the face.
BioNTech	Pharmaceutical company that developed the ‘Comirnaty’ COVID-19 vaccine, together with the company Pfizer.
Border Executive Board	An interdepartmental executive board established to deliver an integrated and effective New Zealand border system. Members of the Board were made jointly accountable to the Minister for COVID-19 Response for delivering strategic improvements to the border system.
Business Leaders’ Forum	The Business Leaders’ Forum was established in early 2021 and was made up of 15 leaders from the business community. It provided ministers with a private sector perspective during the pandemic.
CabGuide	The CabGuide provides practical information and advice for public servants and ministers’ offices on the procedures and operation of Cabinet, Cabinet committees and the Executive Council.
Cabinet Manual	The authoritative guide to central government decision-making for ministers, their offices and those working within the public service. It guides Cabinet’s procedure.
capillary leak syndrome	A rare disorder where the plasma in your blood leaks from your capillaries (small blood vessels) into surrounding tissues in your body.
cell-free in vitro transcription process	A process that involves the synthesis of RNA (see below) molecules from a DNA template in a controlled laboratory environment, outside of living cells.
Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring	The Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring is located within the New Zealand Pharmacovigilance Centre at the University of Otago. It is contracted by Medsafe to be the national repository for adverse reaction (see above) reports. It collects voluntary reports of adverse reactions to medicines, vaccines, herbal products, dietary supplements and blood products.
Chief Coroner	A coroner is a lawyer who can look into unexpected, violent or suspicious deaths with the aim of finding out when, where, how and why someone died. The Chief Coroner is the most senior coroner in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Chief Science Advisor	An individual appointed to independently provide scientific advice to the Government, and to comment on and contribute to scientific issues and debates of public importance. Chief Science Advisors are appointed to specific agencies and to the Prime Minister.
clinical efficacy	A measure of how well a treatment succeeds in achieving its aim in a controlled setting such as in clinical trials or laboratory studies.
Comirnaty	An mRNA vaccine to protect against COVID-19, made by the pharmaceutical companies BioNTech and Pfizer.
congenital anomaly	Congenital anomalies, previously referred to as birth defects, are structural (how the body is built) or functional (how the body works) differences present at birth that can cause physical disability, intellectual and developmental disorders, and other health problems.
consent/provisional consent	A decision by Medsafe, as regulator of medicines, to approve a new medicine for sale, supply and use. Consent can be granted with conditions and/or for a fixed period of time.
consumer medicine information	Consumer medicine information is written by the supplier of a medicine and provides information about what a medicine is used for, how it should be taken, and what side effects can occur. It does not include all available information about a medicine.
Consumers Price Index (CPI)	The Consumers Price Index measures the average change over time in the prices households pay for a basket of goods and services, and is a key indicator of inflation.
contingent liability	An obligation to pay or make good that arises from past events but whose existence will be confirmed only by the occurrence or non-occurrence of future events.
coronavirus	A group of viruses that cause respiratory infections in humans, other mammals and birds. Coronaviruses can cause mild disease, such as a cold, or more serious disease such as SARS, MERS and COVID-19.
COVID-19	The disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 is also widely used to refer to the virus (for example, ‘COVID-19 transmission’) and to the pandemic caused by the virus (for example, ‘our COVID-19 experience’)
COVID-19 Independent Continuous Review, Improvement and Advice Group	A group of experts established in March 2021 to provide advice to the Minister for COVID-19 Response on specific areas of the pandemic response where improvements could be made with the benefit of alternative and independent perspectives.
COVID-19 Protection Framework (the ‘traffic light’ system)	The sliding scale of public health and social measures used in Aotearoa New Zealand’s COVID-19 response from December 2021 to September 2022. The sliding scale used three levels, called ‘traffic lights’ – green, orange and red.
COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund	A funding envelope established in Budget 2020 as a temporary fiscal management tool to support Aotearoa New Zealand’s response to and recovery from COVID-19.
COVID-19 Testing Technical Advisory Group	A group of experts established by the Ministry of Health in August 2021 to provide rapid, independent and practical advice to the Director-General of Health on testing technologies and paradigms, to inform Aotearoa New Zealand’s COVID-19 response.
COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group	A group of experts established in November 2020 to provide advice to Medsafe during the assessment of COVID-19 vaccine applications.
COVID-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board	A board, independent of the Ministry of Health, that was established in February 2021 with the purpose of providing advice on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines to government and the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring.
COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy	The Government’s approach to identifying and procuring a suitable COVID-19 vaccine or vaccines.
COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group (CV TAG)	A group established in February 2021 to provide science advice and recommendations to the Ministry of Health on the use of COVID-19 vaccinations in the National Immunisation Programme (see below).
COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme	Financial assistance provided by the Government to employers to enable them to continue to pay their staff when they were unable to perform their normal duties due to public health measures, such as lockdowns.
CPI	See ‘Consumers Price Index’.
datasheet	A datasheet is a document supplied by the manufacturer of a medicine or vaccine that sets out the key information about how to use the medicine safely and effectively. Unlike consumer medicine information (see above), it is primarily aimed at health practitioners. It is published by Medsafe.
Delta	A variant of the COVID-19 virus that became the dominant form globally in the second half of 2021. Delta was more transmissible (easier to catch) and more virulent (causing more severe disease) than earlier variants.
Department of Corrections \| Ara Poutama Aotearoa	The New Zealand public service department responsible for managing prisons and offenders in the community.
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) \| Te Tari o te Pirimia me te Komiti Matua	A central public service department of New Zealand, responsible for providing support and advice to the GovernorGeneral, the Prime Minister and ministers with responsibilities relating to national security, risk and resilience.
District Health Boards (DHBs)	The 20 regional bodies that were responsible for provision of publicly-funded health and disability services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, including funding and provision of hospital-based services, and funding and coordination of primary and community-based healthcare. On 1 July 2022, the district health board system was replaced by a single national agency responsible for funding and coordinating publiclyfunded healthcare – Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora.
DPMC	See ‘Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’.
elimination strategy	A pandemic response strategy with the goal of eliminating infection from within the population whenever it occurs and preventing new cases of infection from entering.
employment and wage scarring	Employment and wage scarring refers to the long-run losses of employment or income that workers can experience after an interruption to their employment, such as losing their job.
Environmental Protection Authority \| Te Mana Rauhī Taiao	A New Zealand public service agency responsible for regulating hazardous substance use, new organisms, marine activities in the Exclusive Economic Zone, nationally significant development proposals and some Emissions Trading Scheme allocations.
epidemic	An increase in the incidence of a disease that is higher than expected in the population in question.
epidemiology	The study of the occurrence, distribution and causes of health and disease conditions in populations.
fiscal policy	One tool a government has to achieve its economic and social objectives. The operation of fiscal policy is governed by the Public Finance Act 1989. It refers to how a government manages its revenue, expenses, assets and liabilities to manage these objectives.
GDP	See ‘Gross Domestic Product’.
genomic sequence	The genome, or genetic material, of an organism is made up of a unique DNA or RNA (see below) sequence. Each sequence is composed of chemical building blocks known as nucleotide bases.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)	The total monetary value of all the goods and services produced in a country in a specific time period (for example, a year), regardless of who made them. A broad measure of the size of a country’s economy.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome	A rare condition in which a person’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves.
Health and Disability Commissioner \| Te Toihau Hauora, Hauātanga	The New Zealand public service agency responsible for promoting and protecting the rights of those using health and disability services in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Health Quality and Safety Commission \| Te Tāhū Hauora	The independent Crown entity that monitors the quality, safety and accessibility of New Zealand’s healthcare services and works with healthcare providers and consumers to improve service quality and safety.
Human Rights Commission \| Te Kāhui Tika Tangata	The Human Rights Commission works with the Government and civil society to advocate and promote respect for human rights, and to promote harmonious relations in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Commission is made up of the Chief Human Rights Commissioner, and at least three (but no more than four) other Commissioners.
IDI	See ‘Integrated Data Infrastructure’.
IMF	See ‘International Monetary Fund’.
Immunisation Advisory Centre	The Immunisation Advisory Centre is located within the School of Population Health at The University of Auckland. The Centre has a role in supporting New Zealand’s immunisation workforce, and the Ministry of Health contracted it to provide the training required for COVID-19 vaccinators.
in vitro	Processes or reactions occurring in a controlled environment outside a living organism, such as in a test tube or culture dish.
incubation period	Refers to the time between exposure to an infectious disease and the start of symptoms.
inflation	When the prices of a range of goods and services rise on average, reducing the buying power of money.
Inland Revenue (IRD) \| Te Tari Taake	The New Zealand public service agency responsible for collecting most of the government revenue (most of which comes from tax), and collecting and disbursing payment for social support programmes.
Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI)	A large research database managed by Stats NZ which holds de-identified data about people and households. Data in the IDI comes from government agencies and covers life events such as education, income, migration and health.
International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities	A voluntary organisation where medicines regulators from around the world work together to address global medicine regulatory and safety challenges, including by sharing information on clinical trials, therapeutics, vaccines, disease progression and post authorisation surveillance.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)	The United Nations agency that furthers international monetary cooperation, encourages the expansion of trade and economic growth and discourages policies that would harm prosperity.
IRD	See ‘Inland Revenue’.
isolation	See ‘quarantine’.
iwi	A large group of people (or tribe) descended from a common ancestor and associated with a distinct territory
Janssen	Pharmaceutical company that produced a viral vector vaccine to protect against COVID-19 during the pandemic. The vaccine itself is also referred to as ‘Janssen’, although it was also called ‘Jcovden’ and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, among other names.
kura kaupapa Māori	A primary school operating under tikanga Māori custom and using Māori as the medium of instruction.
LAMP	See ‘loop-mediated isothermal amplification point-of-care tests’.
Law Commission \| Te Aka Matua o te Ture	An independent Crown agency which reviews the law of New Zealand and makes recommendations to the Government to improve it.
Legislation Design and Advisory Committee	A committee of experienced government officials, which works to promote quality legislation by advising departments, setting standards and scrutinising Bills that come before Parliament.
liquidity	The state of having enough money, or assets that can be changed into money easily, to promptly pay any money that is owed.
lockdown	A mandatory stay-at-home order, a legal prohibition placing blanket restrictions on the population (apart from specified activities) for the purpose of limiting the spread of a disease. In Aotearoa New Zealand’s COVID-19 response, the term ‘lockdown’ was used for situations where the population was under Alert Level 3 or 4 restrictions (see ‘Alert Level System’). Some lockdowns applied nationally and others to specific regions.
Longitudinal Business Database	A large database managed by Stats NZ which holds de-identified microdata about businesses.
loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) point-ofcare tests	A highly-accurate self-administered COVID-19 test. Like a PCR test (see below), loop-mediated isothermal amplification detects the presence of an organism by copying tiny amounts of genetic material from a sample. However, unlike PCR, a LAMP test does not require heat to carry out this copying process.
lymphadenopathy	Swollen lymph nodes (part of the immune system).
macroeconomic	Relating to the field of study that examines economy-wide phenomena such as inflation, price levels, the rate of economic growth, national income, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and changes in unemployment. Macroeconomics differs from microeconomics (see below), which is more focused on the influences on, and choices made by, individuals and firms.
managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ)	The government-run system of quarantine and isolation facilities used to accommodate incoming travellers undergoing a period of mandatory isolation or quarantine before being able to enter Aotearoa New Zealand, and community cases who could not safely isolate at home.
mandates	See ‘vaccine mandates’.
Māori Law Society \| Te Hunga Rōia Māori	A voluntary organisation that represents Māori in the legal profession.
marae	The open area in front of the wharenui where formal greetings and discussions take place. It is also often used to include the complex and building around the marae. The marae is the hub of a Māori community, the place where people gather in times of joy and celebration, and times of stress and sadness. (A wharenui is a meeting house; the main building of a marae where guests are accommodated.)
MBIE	See ‘Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’.
Medical Officer of Health	A statutory role in New Zealand’s public health service that is accountable to, and subject to direction from, the Director-General of Health in providing oversight of public health regulatory functions. Medical Officers of Health are public health physicians (doctors) who specialise in improving, protecting and promoting the health of the population.
Medicines Adverse Reactions Committee	A technical advisory committee established under section 8 of the Medicines Act 1981 to advise the Minister of Health on the safety of approved medicines.
Medicines Assessment Advisory Committee	A technical advisory committee established under section 8 of the Medicines Act 1981 to advise the Minister of Health on the risk-benefit profile of new medicines.
Medsafe	Medsafe is a business unit of the Ministry of Health and is responsible for administering the Medicines Act 1981 and Medicines Regulations 1984. This includes making decisions to approve medicines where their benefits outweigh their risks, and post-marketing pharmacovigilance monitoring. Its full name is the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority.
MeNZB vaccine	A vaccine to protect against meningococcal group b bacterium that was used in New Zealand between 2004 and 2011.
microeconomic	Relating to the study of what is likely to happen when individuals and firms make choices in response to changes in incentives, prices, resources or methods of production. Microeconomics differs from macroeconomics (see above), which focuses on economy-wide aggregates.
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) \| Hīkina Whakatutuki	The New Zealand public service agency responsible for providing policy advice, services and regulatory functions cross a range of business and enterprise-related sectors to build a strong economy
Ministry for Regulation \| Te Manatū Waeture	The New Zealand public service agency responsible for lifting quality across all regulatory systems and supporting agencies with regulatory responsibilities to align with good practice.
Ministry of Education (MoE) \| Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga	The New Zealand public service agency responsible for education policy. It supports, funds, licenses and regulates schools, kura and early childhood education.
Ministry of Health (MOH) \| Manatū Hauora	The New Zealand public service agency responsible for the health and disability system. Its functions include health policy, legislation, regulation and monitoring. Prior to July 2022 the Ministry of Health was also responsible for planning and allocating funding for national healthcare services through the 20 District Health Boards and public health services through the 12 regional public health units.
Ministry of Social Development (MSD) \| Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora	The New Zealand public service agency responsible for social policy advice and providing social services.
MIQ	See ‘managed isolation and quarantine’.
Moderna	Pharmaceutical company that developed the ‘Spikevax’ COVID-19 vaccine. It was ultimately not used in New Zealand.
MoE	See ‘Ministry of Education’.
MOH	See ‘Ministry of Health’.
monetary policy	The actions the Reserve Bank of New Zealand takes, primarily by adjusting the Official Cash Rate, to achieve and maintain low inflation (and, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, to support maximum sustainable employment).
mRNA vaccine	A type of vaccine that uses mRNA (see ‘RNA’) to evoke an immune response in the person to whom it is administered. While most vaccines contain proteins that imitate the relevant pathogen or infectious agent, these vaccines contain mRNA (or messenger RNA) which the body then uses to build proteins that evoke an immune response.
MSD	See ‘Ministry of Social Development’.
My Vaccine Pass	The vaccine certificate issued by the New Zealand Government to demonstrate an individual’s vaccination status.
myocarditis	Inflammation of the heart muscle. Myocarditis can be caused by infection (for example, a virus), but can also occur as a reaction to a medicine (for example, a vaccine). It can affect the heart’s ability to pump blood around the body which – if severe – can cause serious illness or death.
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) \| Te Rākau Whakamarumaru	The New Zealand public service department that leads and coordinates the emergency management system.
National Ethics Advisory Committee	An independent advisor to the Minister of Health on ethical issues related to health and disability research and services.
National Immunisation Programme	The programme for providing vaccines to the New Zealand population, including COVID-19 vaccines.
National Iwi Chairs Forum	An entity made up of the chairs of 71 iwi (see above) with the purpose of working to share information and advocate for the collective priorities of iwi within the Forum.
NEMA	See ‘National Emergency Management Agency’.
New Zealand Customs Service \| Te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa	The New Zealand public service agency responsible fornational border control.
New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) \| Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa	The name for the New Zealand military, responsible for the protection of the national security of Aotearoa New Zealand and its realm, promoting its interests, safeguarding peace and security, as well as supporting peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.
New Zealand Gazette \| Te Kāhiti o Aotearoa	The official newspaper of record of the New Zealand government, which contains official notifications that are required to be published by law.
New Zealand Infrastructure Commission \| Te Waihanga	The Government’s independent advisor on infrastructure. Focused on improving the infrastructure system to help lift the country’s performance and improve the wellbeing of all New Zealanders.
New Zealand Initiative	A public policy think-tank and business membership organisation formed in 2012.
New Zealand Pandemic Plan	The New Zealand Pandemic Plan sets out the health system strategy and framework for actions for preparing for and responding to future pandemics. It can be adopted and applied (with adaptations as necessary) in any pandemic event.
Notice	The name for an item published in the New Zealand Gazette (see above). Notices include business proceedings, bankruptcies, land notices, parliamentary notices and notifications from government departments and agencies.
Novavax	Pharmaceutical company that produced the ‘Nuvaxovid’ COVID-19 vaccine.
Nuvaxovid	The protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Novavax pharmaceutical company. Also called the ‘Novavax’ vaccine.
NZ COVID Tracer app	A smartphone-based digital contact tracing app issued by the New Zealand Government. Individuals used the app to scan QR codes at venues and record their locations, which could support later contact-tracing activities (where needed).
NZDF	See ‘New Zealand Defence Force’.
OCR	See ‘Official Cash Rate’.
OECD	See ‘Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’.
Office of the Auditor-General \| Te Mana Arotake	See ‘Auditor-General’.
Office of the Chief Coroner	See ‘Chief Coroner’.
Official Cash Rate (OCR)	The interest rate the Reserve Bank of New Zealand charges banks to borrow money from it, and the rate the Reserve Bank pays banks that deposit money with it. It is the main policy lever used to keep inflation low and stable. It affects the interest rates that registered banks charge on loans and deposits. This in turn affects the costs and earnings of banks, which influences the interest rates they charge customers.
Omicron	A variant of the COVID-19 virus that was first detected in November 2021 and rapidly became the dominant form globally, including in Aotearoa New Zealand in early 2022. Omicron was highly transmissible (very easy to catch) compared with previous variants, but was also less virulent (causing milder infection) than Delta.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)	An intergovernmental organisation founded in 1961 to advise governments on policies to promote better lives. New Zealand has been a member since 1973.
Pākehā	A New Zealander of European descent.
palpitations	Refers to the feeling of having a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart. Stress, exercise, medication or, sometimes, a medical condition can trigger them.
pandemic	An infectious disease epidemic (see above) occurring across multiple geographical regions and affecting a large number of people. A pandemic is usually caused by a new infectious agent (for example, a new form of a virus for which people do not have immunity) that transmits readily between people.
pathogen	An infectious organism, such as a virus, bacteria or parasite, that can produce a disease.
pathophysiology	The study of abnormal changes in body functions caused by disease or injury.
PCBU	See ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’.
PCR	See ‘Polymerase Chain Reaction test’.
pericarditis	Swelling and irritation of the thin, saclike tissue surrounding the heart. This tissue is called the pericardium. Pericarditis often causes sharp chest pain. The chest pain occurs when the irritated layers of the pericardium rub against each other.
person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU)	A term used in s 17(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 to describe a broad range of working arrangements that the Act applies to.
personal protective equipment (PPE)	Equipment worn by a person to minimise risks to their health and safety. In the context of an infectious disease, PPE may refer to face masks or visors, protective clothing (for example, plastic aprons or suits) and/or medical gloves.
Pfizer	Pharmaceutical company that developed the ‘Comirnaty’ COVID-19 vaccine, together with the company BioNTech.
pharmacovigilance	The science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse events or any medicine-related problem.
placebo	An inactive substance or other intervention that looks the same as, and is given the same way as, an active drug or treatment being tested. The effects of the active drug or other intervention are compared to the effects of the placebo.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test	A laboratory technique that detects the presence of an organism by copying tiny amounts of genetic material from a sample. PCR tests for the COVID-19 virus were carried out on nasal or throat swabs or saliva, and typically took around eight hours to process (not counting the time needed for the sample to reach the laboratory or for the results to be checked and reported).
PPE	See ‘personal protective equipment’.
primary legislation	Primary legislation comprises Acts (also known as statutes) that have been passed by Parliament, or proposed Acts (known as Bills) that have been introduced to Parliament.
procurement	Processes and activities required to acquire and deliver goods, services and works.
psychosocial	Involving both psychological and social aspects.
public health	The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised efforts of society.
Public Health Agency \| Te Pou Hauora Tūmatanui	The Public Health Agency, within the Ministry of Health, is the lead adviser to the Government on public health and mental health. It advises on preventing disease, promoting health and protecting New Zealanders against threats to their health, including their mental health.
pyrexia	Abnormal elevation of body temperature; fever.
quantitative easing	Quantitative easing is when a central bank creates reserves to buy financial assets (usually government bonds) to push down longer-term interest rates. It is typically used when official interest rates are near their lower limits.
quarantine	Separating people who may have been exposed to a contagious disease from others until it is confirmed that they are not infected. Intended to slow, or even stop, the spread of communicable diseases.
Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs)	A technique used to detect COVID-19 infections by analysis of a nasal swab or saliva sample in a chemical solution. Tests could be self-administered and results available in 10–20 minutes.
recession	A recession is an extended downturn in economic growth. The normal criterion used in New Zealand is two consecutive quarters of decline in real (that is, inflation-adjusted) GDP.
Regulations Review Committee	A select committee of the New Zealand Parliament which reviews secondary legislation to make sure that these rules have been made fairly and are used consistently.
Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee	A committee of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand that is responsible for setting and implementing monetary policy in Aotearoa New Zealand to maintain low inflation. It does so primarily by setting the official interest rate – the Official Cash Rate.
Reserve Bank of New Zealand \| Te Pūtea Matua	Aotearoa New Zealand’s central bank, responsible for maintaining a sound and efficient monetary and financial system by giving people, communities and businesses the confidence to spend, borrow and save money.
Risk Management Plan	A Risk Management Plan (RMP) sets out the known safety information for a medicine and measures to monitor the safety of the medicine. RMPs include a summary of the known safety profile and risks, activities to minimise the risks, and plans to gain more information on the medicine.
RNA (ribonucleic acid)	A nucleic acid present in all living cells that has structural similarities to DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Unlike DNA, RNA is most often single-stranded. Messenger RNA (mRNA) is one type of RNA and is integral to the production of proteins.
rolling average	A rolling average is a calculation to analyse data points by creating a series of averages of different selections of a full data set. It is a technique that smooths out short-term fluctuations in data and highlights longer-term trends by reducing noise from day-to-day variation.
safety signal	A safety signal is an indication that there may be a safety problem related to a medicine or vaccine.This could be a previously unknown side effect or a change in the frequency or severity of a known side effect. A safety signal is information that indicates further investigation is required.
SARS-CoV-2	The strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Science and Technical Advisory Group	The Science and Technical Advisory Group was a technical group within the Ministry of Health which provided advice on a range of COVID-19 issues, including transmission, outbreaks and the vaccine rollout.
secondary legislation	Secondary legislation is law made by someone other than Parliament, generally under a power delegated by Parliament in a particular Act. Examples include regulations, rules, Orders in Council and Orders made under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020.
select committee	Groups of a limited number of Members of Parliament who are appointed to consider parliamentary business on behalf of the House of Representatives. Select committees consider proposed laws, scrutinise the Government and its finances, and interact with the public.
social cohesion	Generally refers to the tendency for a group of people to be in unity while working towards a goal; the degree to which bonds link members of a social group together. Important in the context of a pandemic for the overall success of the response.
social licence	The amount of acceptance or approval the general public has in government or a private organisation’s activities. In the specific context of a pandemic, refers particularly to the degree of public acceptance of public health and other measures deployed in the response.
socioeconomic	Relating to, or involving, a combination of social and economic factors.
spike protein	The spike protein is a small structure on the surface of the coronavirus. It functions like a key that helps the virus attach to and enter human cells, allowing it to replicate and spread.
Spikevax	The brand name for the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Moderna pharmaceutical company. It was not used in New Zealand.
Stats NZ \| Tatauranga Aotearoa	The New Zealand public service agency responsible for the collection of statistics related to the economy, population and society of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Strategic Public Health Advisory Group	A group of expert advisors that was established by the Minister for COVID-19 Response in March 2021 to provide independent advice on the COVID-19 response informed by expertise in epidemiology, infectious diseases, public health and modelling.
Tāmaki Makaurau	Te reo Māori name for Auckland.
tangihanga	The grieving and burial rites for the dead – one of the most important institutions in Māori society, with strong cultural imperatives and protocols.
Te Arawhiti \| the Office for Māori Crown Relations	Te Arawhiti was the name at the time for the government agency responsible for Treaty of Waitangi settlements and the Māori-Crown relationship. The agency has subsequently been renamed Te Tari Whakatau following a restructure in which its role was changed.
Te Pūnaha Matatini	Te Pūnaha Matatini is the Centre of Research Excellence for complex systems, based at the University of Auckland. It provided modelling of virus and health scenarios to the Government and to the public during the pandemic.
Te Puni Kōkiri \| Ministry of Māori Development	The New Zealand public service agency responsible for policy advice on Māori wellbeing and development.
te Tiriti o Waitangi \| the Treaty of Waitangi	The treaty signed in 1840 by iwi, hapū and representatives of the British Crown. Often referred to as Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding document.
testing technologies	Processes and equipment for confirming whether an individual has been infected with a disease.
The Treasury \| Te Tai Ōhanga	The New Zealand public service agency responsible for providing economic and financial advice to the Government.
thromboembolism	A circulating blood clot that gets stuck and causes an obstruction.
thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome	A rare syndrome reported in people who received adenoviral vector COVID-19 vaccines such as Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) and the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. The syndrome is characterised by thrombosis formation (blood clots) combined with thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) with symptoms typically presenting in the four to 42 days after vaccination.
tino rangatiratanga	Sovereignty and self-determination.
unconventional monetary policies	Tools other than the Official Cash Rate that can be used to affect the economy. During New Zealand’s COVID-19 response, these took the form of the Large Scale Asset Purchase and Funding for Lending programmes.
vaccination	The administration of a vaccine as a means of protection against a disease.
vaccine	Medicines used to protect the body against viruses and other infectious agents through immunisation. A vaccine trains the human immune system to respond as it would if it had been exposed to the virus or disease.
Vaccine Assessment Tool (VAT)	A tool prepared by the New Zealand government to help businesses make decisions about what roles might need to be performed by people who had been vaccinated against COVID-19.
vaccine certificate	See ‘vaccine pass’.
vaccine mandate	A law or policy that requires people to receive certain vaccines. In the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine mandates encompassed: ° occupational mandates (a requirement that an individual receive a COVID-19 vaccine to continue employment in a specified occupation) ° mandates imposed by vaccine passes (a requirement that an individual receive a COVID-19 vaccine in order to enter or continue employment in specified locations, or to attend specified gatherings) ° the Vaccination Assessment Tool (developed so employers could introduce their own workplace vaccination policies through health and safety assessments).
vaccine pass	An official certificate verifying that someone has received a vaccine (or is exempt from any requirement to be vaccinated).
VAT	See ‘Vaccine Assessment Tool’.
Vaxzevria	The brand name of the viral vector COVID-19 vaccine produced by the AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company and Oxford University. It was also marketed as ‘Covishield’ in some jurisdictions.
virus	A tiny infectious agent that reproduces itself within the cells of the infected person, animal or ‘host’.
Waitangi Tribunal	The permanent commission of inquiry that considers claims of contemporary and historical breaches of te Tiriti o Waitangi \| the Treaty of Waitangi.
Whānau Ora	A programme of family-centric care in Aotearoa New Zealand, driven by Māori cultural values and delivered by specialist Whānau Ora providers, to empower Māori communities and families to achieve better outcomes for families (and extended families) in areas such as health, education, housing, employment, improved standards of living and cultural identity. It is funded by the Government, managed through the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency and delivered through communitybased partners.
WHO	See ‘World Health Organization’.
WorkSafe New Zealand (WorkSafe) \| Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa	New Zealand’s primary work health and safety regulator.
World Health Organization (WHO)	The United Nations agency that leads multilateral efforts to promote and protect health, including via coordination of global preparation and response to pandemics.