In response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed with the Bombay High Court by two lawyers, Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) told the Bombay High Court that door-to-door coronavirus vaccinations will lead to “high vaccine wastage and contamination leading to reduction in efficacy.”
The PIL sought an order from the Bombay HC to permit the Centre, State, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to start home vaccinations for the physically challenged and those over the age of 75. The MoHFW’s affidavit was presented by undersecretary Satyendra Singh.
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The affidavit went on to state that ensuring physical distancing as well as the 30-minute observation period after vaccination can be a challenge during home vaccinations. The Union ministry’s affidavit further said that upon requests by state governments, more COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (CVCs) have been approved to make the process easier for senior citizens.
The reply comes after a Bombay HC bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish S Kulkarni on April 9 asked the Centre to respond to requests for door-to-door vaccinations and also elaborate why no policy was in place for home vaccinations.
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The Centre’s affidavit told the Bombay HC that shifting citizens to a health centre from home would be another hurdle, especially in the event of Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI). The MoHFW affidavit also said that ICU admission isn’t a requirement for vaccinations.
“The occurrence of serious/severe AEFI is very rare, which may not necessarily require admission into ICU. Hence, there is no such requirement for an ICU for administration of vaccines,” it said.
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