Why start centres if you can’t give Covaxin jabs: HC to govt
The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked why the Delhi government opened more Covid vaccination centres with “much pomp and splendour” when it did not have the doses to ensure both doses of Covaxin within the stipulated 4-6 weeks window.
The court, hearing two pleas by residents saying that they were not getting the second dose of Covaxin, issued a notice to the government, seeking its stand on whether it can provide the second dose of the vaccine, manufactured by Bharat Biotech, before expiry of the incubation period between the two doses.
“Why did you (Delhi government) start it (vaccination) if you were not sure you can provide the second dose also? You should have stopped. When Maharashtra did not have a vaccine, they stopped the process because they knew that it would not have the second dose and the vaccine will lose it’s effect,” justice Rekha Palli observed.
“You opened so many vaccination centres everywhere with so much pomp and splendour and now you say you don’t know when the second dose would be available,” the court said.
To be sure, vaccines are supplied directly by the Centre for people above 45 years of age, and directly by the manufacturer according to a quota decided by the Centre for the 18-45 age group.
The court also issued notice to the Centre to make the second dose of both vaccines -- Covaxin and Covishield -- available in the Capital.
One of the petitions was moved by lawyer Ashish Virmani, who received the first dose of Covaxin on May 3 and since May 29 has been unable to book a slot for the second jab. He went to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to receive the second dose, advocate Pallav Mongia, representing Virmani, told the court.
During the hearing, Delhi government’s additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal told the court that the matter of getting stocks was being discussed, and that even he was yet to receive his second dose since there was a scarcity of Covaxin.
Aggarwal said he will seek instructions on when the stock of Covaxin will be available, and whether those who got the first jab can be provided the second dose within the stipulated time of six weeks.
The matter will be heard on Friday.
The pleas have contended that while Covaxin is made available in other states, Delhi is being deprived of Covaxin doses. People who got their first shot in Delhi, have to travel to other cities to get the second dose.
The Capital is confronted with a major shortage of vaccines, especially Covaxin, which has forced the city government to temporarily suspend 368 vaccine centres for the 18-45 age group. While 720 vaccine centres for the 45+ age group are functional, Covaxin is being given only to people who have their second dose scheduled.
But the Delhi government currently has only one days’ stock of Covaxin even for the 45+ age group, the government’s vaccine bulletin said on Wednesday. The city government has been seeking help from the Centre in scaling up vaccine supplies to Delhi for over two weeks now.
In June, documents seen by HT showed that the Delhi government was supposed to receive 96,300 doses of Covaxin directly from the central government and another 91,960 doses will be available for procurement from manufacturers.
“It is extremely concerning because for the 18-45 group, vaccine doses are not scheduled to arrive before June 10. The crisis is getting worse as a large number of people in the 18-45 group who took Covaxin early last month are scheduled for their second dose now. We appeal to the Centre to intervene and expedite supply,” said Atishi, MLA of Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
VACCINES ARE SUPPLIED DIRECTLY BY THE CENTRE
FOR PEOPLE ABOVE 45 YEARS OF AGE, AND DIRECTLY BY MANUFACTURER ACCORDING TO A QUOTA DECIDED BY THE CENTRE FOR 18-45 AGE GROUP