Incorrect Date & Venue On COVID Vaccination Certificate: Kerala High Court Directs Centre, State To Rectify Error Within 3 Weeks

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the Central government and the State to issue a corrected vaccination certificate within three weeks to the petitioner, thereby removing the discrepancy in date and venue printed on his vaccination certificate. 

Justice P V Kunhikrishnan noting that the 73 year old petitioner was planning to travel abroad to meet his children, remarked:

"Admittedly, a mistake has been made. The petitioner should not suffer because of this. The corrected certificate should be issued within three weeks."

The District Medical Officer submitted an enquiry report before the Court admitting that a mistake had been made on the vaccination certificate issued to the petitioner. 

Special Government Pleader Unnikrishnan further submitted that the State is doing everything to see that a corrected vaccination report is given to the petitioner.

He informed the Court that the Ministry of Health has permitted a one-time correction on the certificate and that it has already taken steps in this regard. It was added that the actual correction has to be done by the Centre. 

The matter has been posted on 8th November. 

The direction was set out during the hearing of a plea moved by K P John who alleged falsification of details on his vaccination certificate regarding the second dose.

The petitioner, represented by Advocate Anushka Vijayakumar, sought the issuance of a corrected vaccination certificate.

He also claimed that a letter was sent to the DMO and a legal notice was sent to the hospital where the vaccination centre was located seeking corrections in the certificate.

However, the petitioner was forced to approach the Court pursuant to continued inaction on the part of the said authorities till date.

The Bench was also informed that the petitioner had received the first dose in March and the second in April, both from a vaccination centre in Aluva, and had never gone to Ernakulam for a jab.

However, when the vaccination certificate was released in July, the certificate displayed that the second dose was administered in July at a vaccination certificate in Ernakulam.

The Court had earlier directed an enquiry into a matter where incorrect date and venue were displayed on the petitioner's Covid-19 vaccination certificate for his second dose, to verify if it was a genuine mistake or some mischief.

Also Read: Plea Before Kerala High Court Seeks Removal Of Prime Minister's Photograph From Vaccination Certificate

Case Title: K P John v. Union of India