Vaccine Capacity Underutilised? HC Quizzes Serum, Bharat Biotech

The Delhi HC also asked the Centre to explain why only people of a certain age group were allowed to take vaccines. 

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The Delhi High Court on Thursday, 4 March, asked the Centre to file an affidavit explaining why it had restricted the administration of vaccines to a certain age group, while directing Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech to file a response on their manufacturing capacity and the extent to which it has been unutilised, reported Bar & Bench.

The directions were passed by a Division Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, during hearing on a suo motu Public Interest Litigation concerning the vaccination of judges, all court staff and lawyers.

Observing that vaccines were not being administered in full capacity, the court said:

“If the two institutes say they have the capacity, it seems their capacity is not being exploited to full capacity.. At the same time, we are donating, selling vaccines to foreign countries. There has to be a sense of urgency,“

Delhi High Court

The court’s observation came after both Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech said they had the capacity to vaccinate members of the legal fraternity on priority.

When the vaccine-makers asked for an estimate of members in the legal fraternity, the court directed the Bar Council of India and Delhi High Court Bar Association to specify the number of people who could be included under this petition.

(With inputs from Bar & Bench.)