The Union Health Ministry has informed the Supreme Court that the government will not make the inoculation program mandatory. In an affidavit, the ministry further said that it has not issued/enforced nor has the intention to issue/enforce protocols regarding mandatory vaccine certificates for any purpose.
The affidavit further said that the government has clearly communicated to the public through all means possible, such as print, digital and social media, to get vaccinated in their own interests but have stopped short of inoculating people without their consent. The government has also laid out a seamless process to streamline the vaccination process as well as laid down clear guidelines to inform the public “about adverse events which may occur after Covid-19 vaccine,” prior to vaccinating them. The affidavit was in response to a plea seeking by Evara Foundation seeking exemption from vaccine passes for individuals with disabilities. The petition also requested the centre to facilitate provision for vaccinating the disabled at their places of stay.
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The centre responded that they are running “vaccination for all” programme as per which near or at-home vaccination facilities have also been provided. They have also advised the state/UT governments to facilitate at-home vaccinations for individual “bed-ridden or beneficiaries with extremely restricted mobility or disability…along with their caregivers,” as per a report by Times of India. The centre further said that a total of 23,768 doses have been administered to people with disabilities. Further, for individuals with disabilities who do not have required documentation/identity cards mandatory for vaccination, arrangements have been undertaken through the “Facilitated Cohort Registration process on Co-WIN”, reports The Indian Express. Over 58 lakh individuals have been inoculated as on January 6, 2021, the report further says.
The petition comes on the back of several state governments indirectly enforcing vaccine mandate. The Maharashtra government has made vaccination mandatory for individuals to commute by local trains. Kerala government has also notified that it will not subsidise the cost of treatment of COVID-infected individuals who are unvaccinated. Internationally, France Parliament has recently approved the vaccine pass which makes it mandatory for individuals to show a vaccine certificate to enter public spaces (sports arena, parks, etc). Italy has also made vaccines mandatory for individuals above 50 years of age.
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