Covaxin

The Delhi High Court has...

The Delhi High Court has said that it will no longer monitor a plea seeking reduction in the price of Covid-19 vaccines across the country and observed that Covid-19 vaccines are now being supplied free of cost to all states and Union Territories under the National Vaccination Programme.

The development came after the Central Government Counsel Mr. Anurag Ahluwalia urged the Delhi High Court division bench comprising Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh to grant him time to seek instructions on the matter.

The petitions were primarily filed with the grievance of the persons in age group of 18-44 years who had received Covaxin's first dose and were not yet administered the second dosage of the vaccination within the prescribe period of time.

The court after considering all submissions decided to keep the matter pending and the same will be listed for further hearing on 10 June.

However, the court issued notice to the Centre and Bharat Biotech to file their reply on a PIL against Covaxin's clinical trials for age group 2 to 18.

A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court against the Phase II/III clinical trial of Whole Virion Inactivated Coronavirus Vaccine (Covaxin) on healthy volunteers from the age group ranging from 2 to 18 years. Petitioner in person Sanjeev Kumar has sought the petition be listed on an urgent basis.

In the spirit of collaboration, the prime minister has suggested a special visa scheme for Indian doctors and nurses so that they can travel quickly within the sub-continent to help with the pandemic as well as a regional air ambulance.

AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said he wants to assure everyone that the vaccine is safe and efficacious.

RTI activist Saket Gokhale has filed a petition before the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to the Drugs Controller General of India