Redistribution Of Unutilised Covid-19 Vaccines At Vaccination Centres: Chhattisgarh High Court To Consider Issue Tomorrow

While hearing several intervention applications in its suo-moto case pertaining to the pandemic, a Division Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Parth Prateem Sahu was informed that the Chhattisgarh Government is distributing vaccines as per following quota:

• Frontline Workers: 20% of total available vaccines
• Antyodaya Card Holders:12% of total available vaccines
• Below Poverty Line: 52% of total available vaccines
• Above Poverty Line: 16% of total available vaccines

[Note: Earlier the Court had ordered the State Government to come out with a fresh vaccination distribution policy to ensure that maximum people are vaccinated in shortest possible time.]

It was submitted that often it happens that the vaccine quantity allocated to one group remains unused and at the same time the quantity allotted to another group is exhausted and there is no policy for redistribution of such unutilized quantity for the benefit of other groups where more persons are willing to be vaccinated.

It was stated that the Government policy is silent on this aspect and resultantly, there is a delay in the whole vaccination programme for the persons who are willing to be vaccinated, but could not get the vaccination because the quantity allocated to their category is exhausted on a given date.

Responding to this, the State Government submitted that the unused vaccines for any particular category is redistributed, but the same is not reflected in the Government order dated 9th May, 2021.

"State Government is keen to vaccinate the entire population of the State at the earliest, however, that Gowri depends on availability of vaccines," the state counsel submitted.

The Court has now fixed the case for hearing tomorrow, the enable the State Government to file an affidavit indicating its policy for redistribution of unutilized vaccines.

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