NEW DELHI: Taking note of vaccine beneficiaries not getting their second dose in stipulated time, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday said if the Delhi government could not ensure that people get both the doses of Covaxin within the scheduled time, then it should not have started so many vaccination centres with “much pomp and splendour”.
Justice Rekha Palli issued notice to the Delhi government asking it whether it can provide the second dose of Covaxin to those who got the first jab, before expiry of the interval of six weeks between the two doses. The court also issued notice to the Centre on two pleas to make the second dose of both Covaxin and Covishield available in the national capital.
“Why did you (Delhi government) start it (vaccination) if you were not sure you can provide the second dose also? You should have stopped. Maharashtra stopped when it found it cannot provide second dose.
“You opened so many vaccination centres everywhere with so much pomp and splendour and now you say you don’t know when the second dose stock would be available,” the court said while hearing the two petitions.
During the hearing, Delhi government additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal told the court that matter of getting stocks was presently between the state and the manufacturer. He said even he is yet to receive his second dose and added that there is scarcity of Covaxin. Aggarwal said he will seek instructions on by when the stock of Covaxin would be available.