High court takes note of vaccine inequality, asks Center, Karnataka to investigate

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday flagged off the unavailability of the first dose for the 18-44 group in government centers when the private sector was vaccinating for the age group, asking the center to take a stand on the issue. A bench of the High Court asked both the Center and the state to examine the issue in the context of Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law. The Karnataka government halted the vaccination program for the 18-44 group on 14 May due to a shortage in supply of covaxine from Bharat Biotech and covashield from the Serum Institute of India. The state is now only providing the first dose of the Covishield vaccine to frontline workers aged 18–44 to conserve stock to provide a second dose to other beneficiaries. although, The first dose for the 18–44 group is available in the private sector. On 20 May, the court asked the state and the Center about the inequality in the 18-44 group immunization program. Since the state government decided

That only frontline activists and health workers of that group would get the first dose, “The question is whether private agencies can be allowed to give the first dose,” the High Court observed on 20 May. The state should ask the HC to consider issuing appropriate instructions to private agencies as it is a matter of violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India and the right to health. “We also clarify that the central government will also have to take a stand on the issue of whether private agencies can be allowed to give the first dose of vaccine, in view of the prevailing situation in the state of Karnataka,” the High Court said. . Following orders from May 20, the Karnataka government issued an advisory to private hospitals on May 24, asking them to use only the covaxine vaccine to give a second dose to beneficiaries of more than 45 groups, Who are eligible for the second shot. The High Court also questioned the vaccination move for the 18-44 age group last week, when thousands of others faced the possibility of not getting their second dose. .