In the face of "growing deaths and adverse effects after COVID vaccinations" SupremeCourt to hear a plea seeking directions to Centre to follow up, record and advertise instances of death occuring within 30 days of immunization
Sr Adv Colin Gonsalves: ASHA workers etc can follow up with individuals who got vaccinated and this is active follow up and there is also passive follow up. At the time of filing petitions there were 900 such deaths after vaccination across the country
DYC J: after a person has taken covid vaccine every death cannot be contributed to the vaccine. there can be no correlation between such deaths and the vaccine.
Gonsalves: the families are reporting it. Now on google docs there are 9,700 deaths. these monitoring mechanism are there in guidelines itself
Gonsalves: The guidelines for adverse reaction after immunization which was there in 2015. it was not being followed thats why there is unbelievable number of deaths
DYC J: I dont think you can say unbelievable etc.. there are huge merits of vaccination. even WHO says so. we dont want to send a signal casting doubt on vaccinations
Gonsalves: I should be more sober while arguing. I dont want to get into whether vaccinations are good or not. there are lakhs of Asha and Anganwadi workers and they are there in every village and they had to be told that vaccination will be there in villages
SC: What about the revised guidelines?
Gonsalves: look at the WHO guidelines which came in 2020. revised guidelines shifted from active to passive follow up
SC; When did the revised one come out? these guidelines also say that there will monthly follow up reports
SC: It also emphasizes on the role of Asha workers.
Gonsalves: there are 9000 deaths in the country which should be investigated
Gonsalves: COVID reactions need investigation. for research purposes it needs to be seen if the vaccine has any adverse effects.
Gonsalves submits on the process of active and passive surveillance.
DYC J: We cannot make a policy on this. we have to see this as a nation which is whole. This is a matter of highest national importance. we cannot afford the price of laxity by not vaccinating people, this is the biggest pandemic that we saw in our lifetime.
DYC J: When there are guidelines in place why should the court intervene at this crucial stage. look at the developed word, whether US or others they have covid vaccines
Gonsalves: all have active surveillance and India has jettisoned active surveillance
DYC J: Give us a moment to discuss
SC: We request Mr Gonsalves to share a copy of the plea to the office of SG Tushar Mehta. List after two weeks.
SC: There is something in my mind, we will take a call.
