Supreme Court refuses to consider plea for door-to-door Covid vaccination in India

The bench emphasised that in the backdrop of the diversity in the country, it is not feasible to pass general directions

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it is not feasible to allow a plea for door-to-door Covid-19 vaccination and the court cannot pass a general direction to scrap the existing vaccination policy.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and Hima Kohli asked the petitioner Youth Bar Association, to present its suggestions before a competent authority.

The plea asked the court to pass a direction allowing door-to-door Covid-19 jab for the disabled and people belonging to weaker sections of society.

Also read: Courts can’t presume that all Covid deaths during second wave were due to negligence: SC

The bench, however, said the vaccination drive was already in progress and over 60% of the population has been administered the first dose.

"With one brush you want an order for the entire country,” the bench asked the petitioner, adding that it is matter of governance and it cannot scrap the existing policy.

It said in Ladakh the situation is different from Kerala and in Uttar Pradesh the situation is different from any other state. “In urban areas, situation is different from rural areas. There are different kinds of problems in every state in this vast country," the bench added

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that health ministry should be asked to consider a representation in a time bound manner in this regard.

The bench said it understood that the ministry officials are under pressure during these testing times.

“They have to look for oxygen supplies across the country, besides looking into other aspects,” the court added.

The bench also said the court was already monitoring the situation under suo motu proceedings.

The bench further emphasised that in the backdrop of the diversity in the country, it is not feasible to pass general directions. “Any directions passed should not impinge upon the existing vaccination policy of the government," it said.

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