The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that raised concerns about alleged side-effects of COVID-19 vaccines. The petition, which referred to reports of blood clotting similar to those filed in the UK, was termed by the court as a sensational attempt lacking substantial merit.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, leading the bench, emphasized the potentially grave consequences of avoiding vaccination. “Please understand what the side effects would be of not taking the vaccine,” remarked CJI Chandrachud during the hearing, underscoring the importance of public health measures amid the pandemic.
Justice JB Pardiwallah also questioned the petitioner’s personal experience with the vaccine, to which the lawyer admitted having been vaccinated without suffering any adverse effects. This further led the court to question the basis of the PIL, eventually leading to its dismissal.
The petitioner had earlier called for a thorough examination of AstraZeneca’s COVISHIELD vaccine by an expert panel, citing its admitted risks of Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) in a UK court. Despite these concerns, the PIL sought more than just an investigation; it demanded the establishment of a Vaccine Damage Payment System for severely affected individuals and compensation for families of those who allegedly died from vaccine-related complications.
In dismissing the plea, CJI Chandrachud suggested that if there were substantial grounds for claims similar to those acknowledged in the UK, they should be pursued through appropriate class action suits rather than PILs under Article 32, which are meant for protecting fundamental rights.
The plea also highlighted an increase in post-vaccination cardiac incidents, requesting that the government and states investigate these matters more deeply.
