No adverse reaction during COVID-19 home vaccination encouraging: HC
The Bombay High Court on Thursday said that it was encouraging to note that not a single bed-ridden person, who was administered the COVID-19 vaccine at home by the Mumbai civic body, showed any adverse reaction to the vaccine jab. The door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination drive began as a pilot project in Mumbai on July 30.
Other civic bodies, district councils should follow suit: Division bench
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni said that it was satisfied that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was moving in the right direction with regard to reaching out to bed-ridden people to give them the vaccine. It also said that all other civic bodies and district councils in the state should follow suit.
Over 4.5K bed-ridden people registered for home vaccination: BMC
The BMC on Wednesday submitted an affidavit in the HC, saying 4,889 bed-ridden people registered for home vaccination so far, and out of them, 1,317 were given the jabs. The affidavit said there was not a single case of adverse effect following immunization (AEFI). "This statement is encouraging. We record our satisfaction that BMC has been moving in the right direction," the court said.
Hope that more people are covered in the drive: HC
"We hope and trust that more such people are covered in the home vaccination drive," the court added. The bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocates Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari, seeking a direction to the Union government to start door-to-door vaccination for senior citizens above the age of 75 years, specially-abled people, and those who are bed-ridden or wheelchair-bound.
Centre is hesitant to introduce door-to-door vaccination drive
The petition said such people would be unable to go to the vaccination centers. The Centre had expressed its inability to introduce the door-to-door vaccination drive on the ground of wastage of vaccines and risk of adverse reactions.
HC posted the plea for further hearing on September 9
The Maharashtra government last month said it would initiate the drive and framed a policy for it. The drive started in Mumbai as a pilot project. On Thursday, Kapadia told the court that the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation and Thane Municipal Corporation in the neighboring district have also started the home vaccination drive. The court posted the plea for further hearing on September 9.
