The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sent notice to the Delhi government and sought its stand on whether it could provide the second dose of Covaxin to those who got the first jab before the expiry of the incubation period of six weeks between the two doses.
Justice Rekha Palli remarked that if the Delhi government could not ensure people received both Covaxin doses within the stipulated time, then it should not have started so many vaccination centres with “much pomp and splendour”.
The High Court also issued notice to the Centre on two pleas to make second doses of both Covaxin and Covishield available in the capital.
“Why did you [the Delhi government] start it [vaccination] if you were not sure you can also provide the second dose? You should have stopped. Maharashtra stopped when it found it could not provide the second dose,” the High Court said.
“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 remarked.
One of the petitions is filed by an advocate, Ashish Virmani, who received the first dose of Covaxin on May 3 and since May 29 has been unable to book a slot for receiving the second dose, which has to be taken within six weeks of the first.
Mr. Virmani said he had to travel to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to receive the second dose of the vaccine.
The Delhi government’s Additional Standing Counsel Anuj Aggarwal said that the matter of securing stocks was presently between the State and the manufacturer. The counsel said he, too, was yet to receive his second dose and added that there was scarcity of Covaxin.
The counsel said he would seek instructions on by when Covaxin stock would be available, and whether those who received the first dose could be provided the second dose within the stipulated time of six weeks.
The second petition filed by one Rajeev Parashar said that he had been been administered the first dose of Covaxin on March 4 and the second dose of the same vaccine had to be administered to him between June 1 to 15.
Mr. Parashar, 35, said the decision of the Delhi government to put on hold the vaccination drive for the 18-44 years age group on hold till June 10 puts him at a significant risk of failure to receive the second dose in time.
The Delhi High Court will hear the case again on June 4.
