The Youth Bar Association has moved the Supreme Court, seeking direction from the court to direct the Government to take appropriate measures for providing door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination of all the citizens residing in India, specially the senior citizens, differently-abled, less privileged, weaker sections and those, who are not capable of doing their online registration for vaccination.
The petitioner, an association of spirited, young and vigilant lawyers of India, have filed various PILs in concern with the public at large.
Advocate Manju Jetley and Advocate Saranjeet stated that door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination of all citizens residing in the country would minimise the risk for getting infected and is the NEED OF HOUR, particularly for those, who are not capable of doing their online registration for the vaccine, irrespective of the reason.
The Petitioner Association suggested that vaccination should muster on the principle of ‘We are as strong as our weakest link’. The Association further submitted that India is a welfare state, which believes in accepting its liability towards securing public welfare and to sub-serve the interest of all its citizens.
The Government of India had announced “the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy” about Phase III of its vaccination strategy, which included citizens within the age limit of 18-45, and in addition to demographic representation of administration of vaccine by frontline workers and citizens above the age of 45 years.
The plea stated, “as the COVID-19 cases are surging abruptly, the vaccine is not a choice, but a necessity for survival. The Central Government had issued “Universal Immunisation Plan and National Vaccine strategy, which raised a legitimate expectation that the vaccine would be procured by the Centre and distributed down the chain to public free of cost and universally in a gradual phased manner”.
In the second wave of COVID-19, the concerned Petitioner Association stated, “COVID-19 vaccine is a life-saving drug and the same shall be included in the National list of Essential Medicines.
“The PAN India shall be directed to create a 24 X 7 toll free portal booth where the economically backward class, individuals who are oppressed by society, i.e. the transgender and sex workers, underprivilege sections of the society, differently abled people, who are unable to approach the vaccine centre due to reason of their age or medical disability may register themselves for vaccination and awareness shall be created among the people through advertisements, pictorial hoardings and resolving the queries through the toll free number.”
The Petitioner Association also prayed that vaccine booth, mobile vans, and vehicles should be allotted for the vaccination of differently-abled, oppressed and living in remote areas of the country and also efforts shall be made that lack of identity must not cause hinderance in the process for the people, who are backward and under-privileged.
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The Petitioner Association also prayed to issue either e-guidelines or formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), so as to give immediate effect to the functioning of Door-to-Door vaccination to incapable people at free of cost and to direct the government to have toll free 24X7 portal, through which the incapable and under-privileged people may register themselves and which may resolve their queries and doubt in their regional language. The matter will soon be listed soon before the Supreme Court.