Covid: Kerala High Court Notifies Centre On Plea To Vaccinate Everyone For Free

MK Muneer's plea wants all citizens vaccinated for free and the rates of vaccines to be the same for the Centre and states.

Kerala Deputy Leader of the Opposition, MK Muneer, has filed a petition before the High Court challenging the Centre's new phase 3 vaccination policy which is to become effective from May 1. The court has asked for a response before May 4 on the matter from, among others, the Union government. The Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy "violates Article 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India, as well as being contrary to the provisions of the Disaster Management Act 2005 and consequent National Disaster Management Plan, 2019 (NDMP)," Mr Muneer has claimed. His petition seeks directions "to vaccinate all citizens free of cost, and to make Covid vaccines available at uniform prices for the Centre and all the states in India so that the Central and State governments can procure vaccines from manufacturers at the same rate along with other consequential reliefs". Others notified by the court for a response on the plea include vaccine makers Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech.