PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry government has made vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory for the eligible population in the Union Territory. An order to this effect was issued on Saturday, just five days after the Union government submitted in the Supreme Court that vaccination is voluntary, and not mandatory.
The UT’s Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services, issuing the orders, said it was invoking sections of the Puducherry Public Health Act, 1973, and enforcing “compulsory vaccination with immediate effect”. The order added that those violating it would be liable to face penal action, as per the provisions of the law.
Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan, addressing reporters on Sunday, justified the move and said, “We took the decision considering the safety and welfare of the people. Vaccines safeguard people from the effects of Covid-19.” She added, however, that the government does not intend to punish those who fail to comply.
A health official in the UT said the penal action to be taken against violators would be decided by the government. Explaining the move, the official added that some States were making submission of vaccine certificate mandatory to enter their borders.
“Similarly, we have made vaccination compulsory to protect people from new variants of Covid,” the official added.Asked about the Union Territory’s decision, Dr K Kolandaswamy, former Director of Public Health, Tamil Nadu, said the Public Health Department can take any action under the Public Health Act, including making vaccination mandatory to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Kolandaswamy said there is nothing to an individual’s right when the person’s behaviour or actions put the lives of others at risk. There are three ways to approach public health: firstly, people should be educated on vaccination; secondly, they should be provided the vaccines; and thirdly, the government can take the legal route by making vaccination mandatory, he added.
Vax confusion
Tenkasi: On Saturday, a Puliyangudi youth received confirmation SMS and ‘vaccination certificate’ from the CoWIN portal. The certificate had the name of his deceased father, for whom he had also received a death certificate. This apart, several other people reportedly got messages confirming their second dose when they have not even taken the vaccine
(With inputs from Sinduja Jane @ Chennai)