New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday evening directed the centre
to submit a report comparing domestic and international prices of Covid
vaccines currently available in India. It also directed the centre to submit a
number of documents, including a complete “purchase history of vaccines”.
A
three-member bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, LN Rao and S Ravindra Bhat also
questioned the centre on the “digital divide” - a reference to concerns that
requiring people to register on CoWIN would hamper vaccination efforts in rural
areas, where access to the internet is unreliable.
The
centre has also been asked to “place on record a roadmap of projected
availability of vaccines till December 31, 2021”. The court will take up the
case again on June 30.
At
present only two of three coronavirus vaccines in use in India are also sold in
other countries - the AstraZeneca-Oxford University shot (manufactured in India
as Covishield) and Russia's Sputnik V, which was approved in early April and is
to be rolled out in the second week of this month.
Covishield
is sold to states at ? 300 per dose and private hospitals
at ? 600 per dose. Sputnik V is to be sold at ? 1,195
per dose when rolled out at Apollo Hospitals across the country next week.
Covishield
is also sold to the centre - but at a reduced rate of ? 150 per dose.
The
third vaccine in use in India - Bharat Biotech's Covaxin - is not sold on the
global market.
The
difference in prices, coupled with states being required to buy up to 50 per
cent of their required doses directly from manufacturers instead of getting it
for free from the centre - as was the case when people over the age of 45 were
being vaccinated - triggered a massive row.
The opposition Congress even
accused the centre of “vaccine profiteering”.
The court today pointed out a significant number of the lakhs being
infected daily are between 18 and 44, and to ask them to pay while those
over 45 got it for free, is “prima facie arbitrary and irrational”.
Last week too the court had asked the
centre to explain its vaccine pricing policy.
Critics of the centre's vaccination policy have pointed out that many
other countries are inoculating all sections of their population for free, with
the government bearing all costs.
Several chief ministers have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
take similar steps.
On Monday the court said: “Why has the
government left it to manufacturers to fix price of vaccines? Centre has
to take over responsibility of one price for the nation.”
The court had then also raised the “digital divide” issue, and asked if it
is “realistically possible to expect (people) from rural areas to register on
CoWIN (digital platform)?”
Vaccine supply, distribution and pricing have emerged as key issues as the
centre tries to fulfill its promise of vaccinating the entire country by
the end of the year.
Earlier on Wednesday the centre, in an attempt to widen the
vaccine net and counter some of these issues, said it would waive
bridging trial requirements for some foreign vaccines. Sources said indemnity
requests of these vaccines - the Pfizer and Moderna shots - would also be
considered.
The centre has also said it expects to have one
crore doses available per day, as early as mid-July.
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