'Arbitrary, Irrational': SC Questions Centre's Vaccination Policy; Asks Govt To Place On Record All Documents

Supreme Court has asked the Centre to place on record all relevant documents and file notings reflecting its thinking culminating in the COVID-19 vaccination policy.

A health worker administers a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to a benificiary.(Image: PTI)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dubbed the Central Government’s Covid-19 vaccination policy, which does not provide free vaccination for the people in the 18 to 44 years age group, as “arbitrary and irrational” and asked the ruling dispensation to respond to the observations made.

“Due to the changing nature of the pandemic, we are now faced with a situation where the 18-44 age group also needs to be vaccinated, although priority may be retained between different age groups on a scientific basis,” observed an apex court bench comprising Justices DY Chandra, L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat.

“Hence, due to the importance of vaccinating individuals in the 18-44 age group, the policy of the Central Government for conducting free vaccination themselves for groups under the first 2 phases, and replacing it with paid vaccination by the State/UT Governments and private hospitals for the persons between 18-44 years is, prima facie, arbitrary and irrational,” the apex court bench added.

Hearing a suo moto case on Covid-related issues, the Supreme Court said the pandemic’s second wave experience has provided an experiential learning that the Covid-19 virus is capable of mutation and now poses a threat to persons in this age group as well.

Noting the Liberalized Vaccination Policy unlike the previous policy does not prioritize persons with co-morbidities and other diseases, persons with disabilities, or any other vulnerable groups, the apex court said that Liberalized Vaccination Policy requires some of these persons to pay for the vaccines; limited vaccines are made available for this category with the State/UT Governments/private hospitals and an additional requirement of mandatory digital registration and booking an appointment through CoWIN has been imposed, among others.

“We find that the Liberalized Vaccination Policy may not be able to yield the desired results of spurring competitive prices and higher quantities of vaccines, the apex court bench said.