PIL against vax coercion without data disclosure

A former member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has moved a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court against coercion for taking the inadequately tested Covid vaccines and pressed for public disclosure of the vaccines' clinical trial data and the post vaccination data as mandatory under the international medical norms.

"Coercing citizens directly or indirectly to get vaccinated is unconstitutional and violates right to life of citizens. While the government has clearly stated in numerous RTIs that Covid vaccines are voluntary, there are many instances from across the country where various authorities are mandating the vaccines," says the petition filed by Dr Jacob Puliyel through advocate Prashant Bhushan.

He has sought directions to the Government of India to make public the segregated data of the clinical trials of the vaccines that are being administered to the population in India under the Emergency Use authorisation granted by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). The PIL, however, makes it clear that it should not be misunderstood as a plea challenging the present Covid vaccination programme.

The PIL says though the emergency authorisation of vaccines as done by the government may be advisable in the present situation, yet it does not mean that these vaccines can be forced upon people, especially without relevant data being available for independent public and scientific scrutiny.

Coercing citizens directly or indirectly to get vaccinated is unconstitutional and violates right to life of citizens, the PIL said