Karnataka HC concerned over COVID vaccine shortage; asks Centre to 'take a stand'

Amid COVID vaccines' suppositions, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday pointed out the unavailability of the first COVID vaccines dosage for the 18 to 44 age bracket at government centres during a time when the private sector was utilising vaccinations for the said age section, asking the Centre to redress the issue. 

Currently, the state is administering only the first doses of COVISHIELD vaccines exclusively to frontline workers of the 18-44 age cohort to preserve vaccine stocks in order to supply second doses to other recipients. It is pertinent to note that the first doses of vaccines are available for the 18-44 age group in the private sector. 

CM Yediyurappa led the Karnataka government on May 14 temporarily suspended the liberalised vaccination programme aimed to inoculate all adults in the state. The government claimed shortages in the supply of COVAXIN from Bharat Biotech and COVISHIELD from the Serum Institute of India. A division bench of the High Court directed the Centre and state to take a stand and evaluate the issue in the context of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees equality for all before the law. 

'Central Government will have to take a stand': Karnataka HC

During the hearing pertaining to stocks and supply of COVID vaccines, the High Court indicated to have placed the onus on the Centre to step up and evaluate the situation in the state.

The Karnataka HC said, "We also make it clear that even the Central Government will have to take a stand on the issue whether, in the context of the situation prevailing in the state of Karnataka, the private agencies can be permitted to administer the first dose of vaccine."

Today's hearing was pursuant to questions raised by the Karnataka HC directed at the state and Centre about inequity in the vaccination programme for adults in the 18-44 group. In the said hearing on May 20, the court observed that since the Karnataka state government had decided to sanction only frontline workers for the first COVID vaccine doses, the primary question was whether private agencies could be permitted to administer vaccines' first doses. 

Pursuant to Karnataka HC orders on May 20, the state government issued an advisory to private hospitals directing them to use COVAXIN for administering second doses to 45+ beneficiaries who are eligible for the shots. Last week, the Karnataka HC also raised fingers at the Centre's decision to relax the vaccine policy and aim to inoculate every adult in each state, while thousands might have to face the prospect of not receiving the second shot of vaccines at all.