HC help sought for roadmap to vaccinate kids of 12 years and below

The counsel for petitioners, a 12-year-old girl and another, submitted that presently vaccination is being administered to only children of 15-17 years of age.
Delhi High Court (File Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)
Delhi High Court (File Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)

NEW DELHI: A plea on Monday urged the Delhi High Court to direct the Central government to give a roadmap for vaccinating children of the age group of 12 years and below for COVID-19. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said it would hear the plea on March 22.

The counsel for petitioners, a 12-year-old girl and another, submitted that presently vaccination is being administered to only children of 15-17 years of age. There are two petitioners- the first is a minor represented through her mother and the second is a mother of a minor child.

The court was informed by senior advocate Kailash Vasudev, appearing for the petitioners, that no road map was given by the government for vaccinating children of the age of 12 years and below. He urged the court to direct the government to give a road map for vaccinating kids of the age group of 12 years and below.

The issue of vaccinating children below 12 years of age was raised during the hearing of a PIL filed on behalf of a minor and other seeking directions for the immediate vaccination of those in the 12-17 age group on the ground that there were fears that the third wave of COVID-19 could affect them more.

The high court had earlier said it would be a ‘disaster’ if COVID-19 vaccines are administered, especially to children, without clinical trials and had asked the Centre to quickly vaccinate kids below 18 years of age once the trials are over as the whole nation is waiting for it.

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