Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned Report Looming Any Day Now
- Gary Moller
- 36 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Independent Series ‘The Tribute’ Breaks Silence on New Zealand’s Vaccine Injuries
NEW ZEALAND — February 23, 2026 — As the New Zealand Government prepares to receive the highly anticipated Phase Two report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned this Friday, 28 February, a new independent web series is giving a voice to those the inquiry was expanded to protect.
The Tribute, an episodic documentary series directed by Gaylene Barnes (River of Freedom) and award-winning cinematographer Mark Lapwood, launched 6 weeks ago to document the lived experiences of everyday New Zealanders who report serious harm following their COVID-19 vaccinations.
The Human Cost of the Response
Marking five years since the first Pfizer doses were administered in New Zealand, the series features powerful testimony from casualties of the vaccine rollout. Lynda Wharton, founder of The Health Forum NZ and a key collaborator on the project, explains that the series was born out of a necessity to record history that has been largely overlooked by mainstream media.
"We are seeing a consistent pattern in these stories," says Wharton. "Kiwis describe a total lack of informed consent, the trauma of job-loss coercion, and a medical system that often met their injuries with denial or 'gaslighting,' attributing serious physical symptoms to anxiety. " (The interviewees in The Tribute are mostly formally diagnosed as vaccine injured with supporting test results)"
Key Themes Explored in The Tribute:
Institutional Silence: The unprecedented suppression of public discussion regarding vaccine safety.
Social Cohesion: How mandates and the "team of five million" narrative fractured families and trust in public health.
Data vs. Reality: A deep dive into Medsafe’s own data—which has reported over 20,500 serious adverse events and 204 deaths—and the ongoing struggle for ACC compensation.
Global Signals: The emergence of international pharmacovigilance data that mirrors the concerns raised by injured New Zealanders.
A Turning Point for Truth?
The timing of the series coincides with a pivotal moment for the nation. The Royal Commission’s Phase Two report specifically investigated vaccine safety, efficacy, the implementation of mandates, and the monitoring of adverse reactions. For many featured in The Tribute, this report represents a final hope for official acknowledgement and the restoration of patient rights under the NZ Bill of Rights.
"This is a passion project to ensure these voices are not erased from our national record," says Director Gaylene Barnes. "Whether the Royal Commission shines a light on these realities or not, The Tribute will stand as a permanent document of the human experience during this era."
Episode 5 Vicki’s Story – Learning to Reframe the Journey with a Covid-19 Vaccine Injury – THE+TRIBUTE
The Trailer is here https://youtu.be/FMQPNNtpcGM
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