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India began the vaccine drive in January, with focus on healthcare and frontline workers (File)
New Delhi:
The centre has defended its Covid vaccination policy – criticised for differential pricing, shortage of doses, and slow rollout – in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court late Sunday night and ahead of a hearing in the top court this morning.
The affidavit urged against “judicial interference” and warned that “overzealous, though well-meaning, intervention may lead to unforeseen and unintended consequences”.
“In the context of a global pandemic, where response and strategy of the nation is completely driven by expert medical and scientific opinion, there is little room for judicial interference. Any overzealous, though well-meaning, judicial intervention may lead to unforeseen and unintended consequences… in absence of any expert advice or administrative experience, leaving doctors, scientists, experts and executive very little room to find innovative solutions on the go,” the centre said.
“Pricing of vaccines is not only reasonable but uniform across the country (after) government persuasion with two vaccine companies,” the centre added.
The centre also pointed out that several states had announced plans to vaccinate the 18-45 age group for free, and that crematorium workers, and panchayat workers in rural areas, were “frontline workers” and so eligible for the vaccine.
The Supreme Court last week directed the centre to reconsider prices – “to ensure it withstands scrutiny of Articles 14 (equality before law) and Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty)”.
The row over vaccine prices was after manufacturers Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech announced vastly different prices for the centre, state governments and private hospitals.
While the centre continues to spend only Rs 150 per dose of either Serum Institute’s Covishield or Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, states must pay Rs 400 per dose for Covaxin and private hospitals Rs 1,200. Covishield costs Rs 300 per dose for states and Rs 600 for private hospitals.
Shortage of vaccine doses has forced vaccination centres in several states to shut down (File)
Prices for states and private hospitals were originally higher and were reduced only after outrage.
The vast difference in prices also triggered a political storm, with the Congress accusing the centre of “vaccine profiteering” and sarcastically reminding it of the “one nation, one price” war cry.
The centre pointed out it would get 50 per cent of vaccine supply and that this would be supplied to states for free. However, it made no comment on the higher prices of the remaining 50 per cent.
Last week the Supreme Court said compelling states to negotiate with manufacturers, on grounds of promoting competition and making it attractive for new manufacturers, would adversely affect those in the 18-44 age group, whose vaccination has only just begun.
India began its vaccination drive in January and has administered nearly 17 crore doses so far but the pace has been questioned, with states running out of stock and shutting down centres.
Several states, including national capital Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan, deferred the start of the third phase over a lack of vaccine doses.
So far two vaccine options are available, with a third – Russia’s Sputnik V – having been cleared for emergency use and expected to be rolled out soon. In its affidavit the centre also said it is in consultation with manufacturers like Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson to bring in their products.
The vaccination policy has been criticised by international medical journal The Lancet, which called it “botched” and said the government had vaccinated less than two per cent of the population so far.
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