PIL in SC seeks COVID-19 vaccination for all above 18 years

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 16

Amid a sudden spike in COVID19 cases, an advocate filed a PIL in the Supreme Court on Friday seeking vaccination for all above the age of 18 years to deal with the pandemic.

At present, the government is making COVID19 vaccines available only to those above the 45 years of age.

However, petitioner Rashmi Singh submitted that widespread vaccination of all young and working population was essential to arrest the deadly surge of the coronavirus in its second wave.

The administration of the vaccine in itself takes between six to eight weeks for both the doses and by the time the vaccine reaches the age group of 18 years and above, COVID-19 virus would have spread rapidly and may give rise to a situation, she contended.

Terming the “denial” of vaccines to those in the age bracket of 18-45 years as “arbitrary, discriminatory and unreasonable”, she said such denial resulted in infringement of their right to health and right to life.

Several experts, including the Indian Medical Association, have demanded ramping up of COVID19 vaccination and many of them have advised that India needed to administer at least 10 million doses a day to tackle the situation, she submitted.