SC reserves order on disclosure of Covid vaccine clinical trial data

The Supreme Court reserved its order on a PIL seeking public disclosure of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial data and post-vaccination data

The Supreme Court on Monday reserved its order on a PIL seeking public disclosure of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial data and post-vaccination data which claimed that it is mandatory and required that the government must publish the data "as per international medical norms".

A bench, headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao, reserved the judgement after hearing arguments from counsels of all the parties.

The plea was filed by Dr Jacob Puliyel alleging coercive vaccination of citizens and seeking disclosure of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial data and post-vaccination data.

The Central government had earlier filed the affidavit on the plea saying that any "misgivings and misconceived doubts and motivated propaganda" against COVID-19 vaccination can only result in a potential threat of increasing vaccine hesitancy, which will not be in the public interest.

It had said such a plea goes against national interest and would violate the rights of citizens to get vaccinated against the virus.

The affidavit had pointed out that there is a statutory regime in place for trial and approval of vaccines and that the same has been followed.

All vaccination trial data is in public, except the data that would expose any information about the participants of the clinical trial, which is against rules and guidelines, it had added

The plea has raised a false alarm and warning against efforts of the nation to combat an unprecedented tragedy faced by the human race, said the Centre seeking dismissal of the plea.

The PIL sought direction for transparency in clinical trial data for the COVID-19 vaccines being administered in India under emergency use.

Dr Puliyel had also sought a stay on the COVID-19 vaccine mandates that are being issued by authorities in various parts of the country.

He had also said that the Helsinki and World Health Organization (WHO) mandated that all COVID-19 vaccine data and trials have to be in a transparent manner, which, in this case, was not made.

The plea sought direction to the Centre to disclose the reasoned decision of the DCGI granting approval or rejecting an application for emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines and to also disclose the post-vaccination data regarding the adverse impact of vaccines -- who got infected, who needed hospitalization and those who died after such infection post-COVID-19 vaccination.