LUCKNOW: Observing that “unless every individual is protected, no one is safe,” the Allahabad High Court has directed the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh to find ways and means to ensure immediate procurement of Covid vaccines, so that all in the state may get vaccinated with its complete doses within three to four months.
Hearing a bunch of petitions pertaining to the Covid-19 situation in the state on Friday, a division bench of the HC, comprising Justices Ajit Kumar and Siddhartha Varma, asked the UP government about its stand on procuring the Covid vaccines. The state government counsels submitted that besides procuring the two vaccines from Indian manufacturers, the UP government has also floated global tenders for getting vaccines.
The court held, “We are of the opinion that tender is a long drawn process and if we run late in vaccinating a large number of the population in the state, we may lose the real desired result of vaccination, as the virus may achieve such mutations which may neutralise the vaccine also.
Since a large number of people are getting infected daily and the scientists are of the view that the third wave is almost at the door steps of India, it is necessary that the government should enter into direct dialogue with vaccine producers with the help of Indian diplomats in those countries. We must remember that in the context of Covid-19 virus, unless every individual is protected, no one is safe.”
“We accordingly, direct the state government to find ways and means to ensure immediate procurement of vaccines so that all in Uttar Pradesh may get vaccinated with its complete doses within 3-4 months’ time and tell us on the next date fixed how it proposes to expedite purchase of vaccines from global market,”
the high court observed in the detailed order.