India opened up Covid-19 vaccination for people in the age group of 18-44 years from May 1. Due to a shortage of vaccines, Chhattisgarh dec...
India opened up Covid-19 vaccination for people in the age group of 18-44 years from May 1. Due to a shortage of vaccines, Chhattisgarh decided to undertake the vaccination in phases, prioritising those who are socially and economically vulnerable.
As per Chhattisgarh’s guidelines for vaccinations of people in the 18-44 years age group, in the first phase people under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana – a food scheme for the poorest and most vulnerable families – were to be vaccinated, followed by those Below Poverty Line. Those Above Poverty Line were to be vaccinated in the final phase.
Multiple petitioners filed intervention applications against the state’s vaccine guidelines in the Bilaspur High Court under an ongoing suo motu case on the concerns of people of the state during the pandemic. The High Court in its order of May 4 opined that prima facie, the sub-classification of persons to be vaccinated on the basis of their “financial status” alone “may not be correct or sustainable”. The Bench directed the State to fix reasonable ratios of vaccines that may be allotted to various groups based on factors such as vulnerability, chance to spread the disease and the number of eligible persons in the group.
The government of Chhattisgarh passed a circular on...Read more
