Covid: Delhi HC asks Centre why wait till May 1 to vaccinate everyone

Pandemic does not discriminate and therefore, all need to be vaccinated. Young people being hit hard this time, Delhi HC tells Centre

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over "huge wastage" of vaccines and asked the Centre to vaccinate whomsoever it can to ensure there is no wastage.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said according to news reports there is a daily wastage of six per cent of vaccines and till now 4.4 million vaccines out of 100 million have been wasted, maximum in Tamil Nadu.

"This is a huge wastage. Give it to those who want it. Whomsoever you can vaccinate, please vaccinate. Whether 16 year old or 60 year old, all need vaccination. The pandemic does not discriminate," the court told the Centre.

The court said young people are being affected more this time round, and lot of young lives have been lost.

It said if at the end of a day, a few shots are available in a vial, then it be given to someone whether they fall in the approved categories for vaccination or not.

The observations by the bench came during the hearing of a disposed of petition related to COVID-19 tests which was revived on April 19 (Monday).

The high court Monday noted that the virus has raised its "ugly head" once again and the pandemic is raging with much greater intensity and "it is evident that the healthcare infrastructure is at the stage of imminent collapse".

The Delhi High Court also expressed hope that the Central government was allocating or diverting resources and medicines, like Remdesivir, based on the needs and situation of each state, otherwise "people will have blood on their hands".

"We will be doomed," the bench said with regard to any non-application of mind in allocation and diversion of resources and medicines.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma and central government standing counsel Moniika Arora told the court that medical opinion was divided on use of Remdesivir.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi government, told the court that doctors were prescribing Remdesivir and people are unable to get it from the market despite having prescriptions.

"Long and short of it is that it (Remdesivir) is in short supply," the bench said and added that giving clearance for setting up units to manufacture would not yield quick results as establishing the facilities for manufacture takes time.

The observations by the bench came during the hearing of a disposed of petition related to COVID-19 tests and the high court revived it on April 19 by noting that the virus has raised its "ugly head" once again and the pandemic is raging with much greater intensity and "it is evident that the healthcare infrastructure is at the stage of imminent collapse".