Central govt to file fresh status report before Delhi High Court on administering Covid-19 vaccine to children below 12

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Central government to file a status report indicating its position with respect to inoculation of children below the age of 12 years against Coronavirus [Tia Gupta (Minor) and Anr v Union of India and Anr]..A bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla gave the Centre three weeks’ time to file an affidavit in this regard and listed the case for further hearing on May 12..The court was hearing a petition filed by 12-year-old girl named Tia Gupta demanding that even children should be vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus..Advocate Anurag Ahluwalia, appearing for the Centre, informed the court that vaccination of children above the age of 12 years has already started.The Acting Chief Justice also referred to several media reports that said that the vaccination of children has started..Petitioners’ counsel, Senior Advocate Kailash Vasdev, however said that there are millions of children below 12 years of age who are still not getting vaccines and missing schools because of the pandemic.“They (Centre) have placed on record guidelines for 15-18 years. They have now started vaccination for children above 12 years. Kindly ask them to place on record material to show what their plans are about vaccination of children below 12 years. Students are missing schools because of this,” Vasdev argued..Ahluwalia said that different vaccines have to be used for different age-groups of children and trials are going on to gauge the efficacy and safety of vaccines on children. He also said that the government will file a status report in this regard..The bench, therefore, asked the government to state its stand in a fresh status report within 3 weeks.“The grievance of the petitioner stands partially addressed in as much as the GOI has started rollout of vaccines for children of 12 years and above. Mr. Ahluwalia states that he will file a status report indicating the position with respect to vaccination of children below 12 years of age. Let the status report be filed within three weeks,” the court said in its order.