Plea in SC seeks opening up COVID-19 vaccination for all citizens irrespective of age

Activist Tehseen Poonawalla has approached the Supreme Court seeking directions to be issued to the Central government to open COVID-19 vaccination to all citizens including those below 45 years of age.

Currently, both Covaxin and Covishield, the two vaccines which are in use in India, can be availed only by those who are 45 years or above.

The petitioner submitted that there has been a steep increase in the cases of COVID-19 disease in the country, with the daily rise in cases being that of approximately 1.31 lakh new cases as on April 9, Bar & Bench reported.

The arbitrary bar on the age-groups coupled with the sudden rise in the number of infections due to COVID-19 disease necessitates immediate steps to be taken to ensure that vaccination is not only available to persons aged above 45 years but to all such persons, even below the age of 45-years, the petitioner contended.

"The bar on availability of approved vaccines to persons below the age of 45 years, despite having co-morbid conditions, is arbitrary, unreasonable and ultra vires Article 21, which guarantees a right to life, not being a mere animal existence but including within it the right to dignity and appropriate healthcare as well as Article 14, which envisages a right to equality to all the citizens," it said.