‘Centre mustn’t leave vax pricing to makers’; order expected today

A distressed Covid-19 patient with a relative waits to receive oxygen at Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, on Friday. PTI

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 30

The Supreme Court on Friday said states can’t take coercive action against people sharing distressing information on social media to seek medical help for their dear ones during Covid-19 pandemic.

“I flag this issue at the outset… We want to make it very clear that if citizens communicate their grievances on social media and the Internet then it can’t be said it’s wrong information. We don’t want any clampdown on information,” a Bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud said while hearing a suo motu PIL on Covid management.

‘Why not buy 100% doses?’

The Bench wanted to know why the Centre wasn’t buying 100 per cent of vaccine doses
Why not follow the national immunisation policy with respect to Covid vaccines, it asked.
Vaccine makers are publicly funded, hence vaccines are ‘public goods’, it said
“We will treat it as a contempt of court if such grievances are considered for action,” said the Bench, which also included Justice LN Rao and Justice SR Bhat.

Terming the second wave of the pandemic as a “national crisis”, it said, “There should be free flow of information… we should hear voices of citizens.”

The UP Government had reportedly ordered strict action under the National Security Act against those allegedly creating panic by making “false appeals” for help for Covid patients on social media. However, the top court said, “Let a strong message go to all the states and their DGPs… clampdown on information is contrary to basic precepts.”

Noting that the government should not leave vaccine pricing and distribution to manufacturers, the Bench sought to know why the Centre was not buying 100 per cent of the Covid vaccine doses as it was better placed to determine equity and disburse. It asked, “Why can’t the Centre follow the national immunisation programme policy with respect to Covid vaccines?”

The top court — which had last week taken suo motu cognisance of the Covid management — will formally issue its order on Saturday.