HC notice to Centre on plea against Covishield vaccine


PTI | Chennai | Updated: 19-02-2021 21:12 IST | Created: 19-02-2021 21:08 IST
HC notice to Centre on plea against Covishield vaccine
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The Madras High Court on Fridayissued notice to the Centre and others, including SerumInstitute of India, on a plea from a man who alleged seriousside effects after being administered the Covishield vaccinelast year during trial.

In his plea, which came up before Justice Abdul Quddhose,the petitioner sought a declaration that the traumatic healthissues he faced following vaccination was a 'serious adverseevent' as defined in the New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules(NDCTR), 2019.

The Covishield vaccine should hence be declared 'notsafe' he pleaded and also sought a direction to the SII toprovide him a compensation of Rs five crore.

The petitioner, 41-year old Asif Riaz, also sought aninterim injunction restraining the Central government and theDrugs Controller General of India from continuing withadministering Covishield vaccine, pending disposal of hispetition.

According to him, he volunteered in the phase-III trialof the vaccine and he was inoculated on October 1 last year atSri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Researchhere.

He experienced severe trauma due to acute neuroencephalopathy, a severe neurological disorder from October 11to 26 and this was a serious adverse event as defined inNDCTR.

To his legal notice seeking compensation,SII replied lastDecember that his condition was not related to the trialvaccine and the firm offered no proof to support such a view,he said.

The Director General of the Indian Council of MedicalResearch, in reply to his legal notice, merely stated that anyserious event is compensated as per the NDCTR.

Despite request, he received no reply from the DrugsController of India on the report of an independent committeeit appointed, which said the adverse event he went through hadno link to the vaccine.

This panel neither heard him nor physically examined himbefore submitting its report, he said and sought constitutionof an expert committee to go into records and give its view.

The petitioner said he has ''...no end in sight forcomplete recovery,'' from the side effects following thevaccination.

The court ordered notice to the Union Health Secretary,DCGI, Director General of ICMR, and CEO of SII and chief ofthe Sri Ramachandra's ethics panel.

The matter has been posted for March 26.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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