FPJ Legal: Bombay HC to hear plea seeking framing and swift implementation of vaccine-booster policy

The Bombay High Court will hear on January 10 a public interest litigation (PIL) by two city-based lawyers seeking that the Central government, the state government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) frame and swiftly implementation vaccine-booster policy and arrange for booster dose “for every citizen on priority without any delay.”

The PIL filed by advocates Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari also seeks that the authorities should disclose the “vaccine-booster mechanisms” for the citizens at large.

The PIL was mentioned on Monday before a division bench of justices Amjad Sayed and Abhay Ahuja which kept it for hearing before regular bench headed by Chief Justice Dipankar Datta.

Kapadia said that people should know how and what guidelines have been issued for vaccination booster doses.

Kapadia’s plea reads: “It has been observed that the efficacy of vaccines is reduced after three months of receiving two doses of vaccines, which increases chances of infection in the person against the new variant.”

It added, “It is a need of time to have the booster dose of vaccines started at the earliest, for which there is no policy in place by Centre, state or BMC. Experts must roll out a policy covering every section of the people [society] who are due for a booster dose.”

“Due to the festive seasons, there is bound to be more socialising and immediate booster doses may help citizens,” it further states.