HC SEEKS GOVT REPLY ON PLEA OVER COVISHIELD

CHENNAI: The Madras high court on Friday sought the Centre’s response among others to a petition to declare one of the Covid-19 vaccines, Covishield, as unsafe. Covishield is an Oxfordastra Zeneca vaccine produced locally by the Pune based-serum Institute of India (SII) with Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research as was one of its trial sites.

Besides the Centre, SII and the institute, the court issued a notice to Drugs Controller General of India, Indian Council of Medical Research and Astra Zeneca UK, the petitioner’s advocate R Rajaram said.

In his petition, the Chennaibased businessman stated that he had volunteered for the clinical trial and suffered from severe side effects after receiving the first dose of the vaccine on October 1 last year. He added that he was hospitalised for two weeks from October 11. The businessman’s discharge summary stated that he suffered from ‘acute neuro encephalopathy’.

Stating that the petitioner volunteered for a public cause and is entitled to protection under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, the plea sought for the vaccine to be declared unsafe and for a compensation of ₹5 crore for the trauma he and his family went through.

The matter will next be heard on March 26.