New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to rule on representation for a person requesting an amendment to the COVID19 policy to allow voluntary re-vaccination of people who received the SputnikV vaccine and want to travel abroad.
A court of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant, while refusing to interfere with the petition, granted the petitioner, Tarun Mehta, freedom to present a representation before the Ministry.
The indictment said that Mr. Mehta was vaccinated with the SputnikV vaccine but as he was not approved by the World Health Organization he was unable to travel abroad.
In its decision, the Supreme Court stated: “The petitioner has invoked the jurisdiction of this court under Article 32 of the Constitution to request a change in vaccination policy against Covid19.
The petitioner assures that he has been vaccinated with the SputnikV vaccine, but as it has not been approved by the World Health Organization he cannot travel abroad.
The petitioner seeks a policy change to allow for voluntary revaccination of persons who have received the SputnikV vaccine and are willing to travel abroad.” The Chamber confirmed that the petitioner had brought the matter to the court without filing an application for justice with the competent authority.
“The safety and efficacy of the intervention require careful and calibrated scientific evaluation. Therefore, the petitioner is permitted to highlight the difficulties he and possibly others face in similar situations by providing representation before the Union Department of Health and Family.
The petitioner is given the freedom to do so.MOHandFW is asked to take this into account appropriately, taking into account all relevant aspects, with a reasonable speed. Accordingly, the motion for Order is dismissed,” the Supreme Court said in its order. ,
the countries of the European Union, Japan, etc. treated people who had been administered SputnikV as unvaccinated people who were not allowed to travel to those countries or were forced to undergo mandatory quarantine.
When Sputnik V was administered to the petitioner, it was approved by the government and therefore legitimately and in good faith believed that the same would also be approved by the WHO and other countries, the appeal added.