Cal HC asks Centre to file affidavit on vaccine distribution

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court (HC) on Monday sought an affidavit from the Central Government regarding distribution of vaccines in different states.

At the same time, the HC also asked the state government what measures were being taken regarding distribution of vaccines and immunisation in Bengal.

A division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, during the hearing of public interest litigations in connection to COVID-19 vaccines on Monday, pointed out that all information on vaccine recipients need to be documented to review the effectiveness and side-effects of vaccines.

The next hearing is on August 2. Earlier, the Calcutta High Court directed the Centre and the states to submit affidavits.

The state government has repeatedly complained against the Centre for not providing sufficient vaccines.

It has been alleged that the state is not getting the vaccine in proportion to the population. Even some states in the country are getting more Covid vaccines.

The Calcutta High Court also wanted to know how many covishield vials are coming to the state and in what proportion they are being sent. Advocate General Kishore Dutt had filed the affidavit in the Calcutta High Court on behalf of the state. It has been reported that over 23 million in the state have been vaccinated from government places. More than 15.6 million received the first dose. About 4.5 million have already received two doses.

The Calcutta High Court also asked the state to find out whether those who received the two doses had any side-effects on their bodies. "Who was keeping an account of them and whether those accounts had been ratified at all,"the HC asked. The Calcutta High Court also pointed out that how do people in a country where 30 per cent of the population live below the poverty line get the Sputnik V vaccine.