Door-to-door vaccination not possible, Centre reiterates

Reiterating its stand that door-to-door vaccination was not possible, the Central government informed the Bombay high court (HC) that it was expected that the Maharashtra government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would follow the ‘near-to-home policy’ for vaccinating severely ill and bedridden persons

Reiterating its stand that door-to-door vaccination was not possible, the Central government informed the Bombay high court (HC) that it was expected that the Maharashtra government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would follow the ‘near-to-home policy’ for vaccinating severely ill and bedridden persons.

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A division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocates Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari, seeking directions to the Centre, state and BMC to provide door-to-door vaccination for people over 75 years of age, the specially-abled and the bed-ridden.

In response to a letter by BMC commissioner IS Chahal, the Centre, through additional solicitor general Anil Singh, submitted that as it was recommended by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) and agreed upon by representatives of various states, the decision was akin to a national policy. When asked by the court whether it was incumbent on states to follow the policy, the Centre clarified the recommendations were advisory in nature and did not prohibit any states or corporations from implementing the door-to-door vaccination policy. After the HC was informed that the state was contemplating the door-to-door vaccination policy as health minister Rajesh Tope has announced it, the court asked the BMC whether it would comply to which the civic authority responded in the affirmative.

The letter addressed to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) had expressed willingness of the civic body to conduct door-to-door vaccination for the needy provided the Centre gave it the go-ahead and issued guidelines. The response by Manohar Agnani, additional secretary, MoHFW, stated door-to-door vaccination could not be adopted at present stage due to Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) and cold-chain protocols. The MoHFW further stated that Near to Home Covid Vaccination Centres (NHCVC) for elderly and specially-abled persons could be set up in schools, old-age homes, sub-health centres and panchayat offices, among others.

When questioned by the bench as to how some states and corporations had already started door-to-door vaccination, Singh said it was a fact as the national policy of near-to-home vaccination was advisory in nature. “We have clarified that national policy is for time-being and in future we will have some arrangement and issues raised by the petitioner will also be sorted out,” submitted Singh.

Singh added the Centre had not prohibited the states namely Kerala, Orissa and Jammu and Kashmir that were carrying out door-to-door inoculation for the needy as health was a state subject.

When Kapadia drew the attention of the bench to a news report wherein Tope had said that his department was working on allowing home vaccination for the bedridden and those who could not go to vaccination centres, the court asked the state advocate on the progress of the same. The advocate sought time to respond to the query.

The bench then directed the authorities to respond and posted the hearing on June 22.