SCBA writes to Health Ministry to sanction Covishield doses on urgent basis

By PTI
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has written to the Union Health Ministry requesting it to sanction 2,500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine Covishield on an urgent basis and allocate it to the Delhi government’s vaccination centre at the apex court for vaccinating members of the bar body expeditiously.

In his May 17 letter, senior advocate and SCBA president Vikas Singh has said that considering the “grim situation” where the bar body has lost 90 of its members in the recent past, an appropriate direction may be issued to vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) so that Covishield doses could be provided on an urgent basis.

The SCBA president has addressed the letter to Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and its copy has been marked to Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulator Affairs, SII.

The SCBA Presidnt has said the Supreme Court is functioning on virtual mode since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic and it can start normal functioning only when substantial number of apex court lawyers, staffs and their families get vaccination at the earliest.

“I would therefore request you to kindly sanction 2,500 doses of Covishield on urgent basis and allocate the same to the vaccination centre of the Delhi Government at the Supreme Court so that we could vaccinate our remaining members expeditiously,” he said in the letter.

“I am writing this letter to make a request to you to sanction some Covishield doses for vaccinating Supreme Court lawyers and staff with their families in the 18-44 age category,” he said.

The letter said the apex court is presently on summer vacation and it will re-open on June 28.

“Ideally in the next one or two weeks we should vaccinate our entire eligible persons in both the age groups (i.e., 18-44 and 45+) so that our members have sufficient immunity by the time Supreme Court reopens,” it said.

“Considering the grim situation where we have lost 90 members in the recent pass, we will appreciate that an appropriate direction may kindly be issued to the Serum Institute of India so that these doses are provided to us on an urgent basis,” it said.