GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Monday, October 14 alleging health side effects from Covid-19 vaccines, including claims of blood clotting. The petitioner's counsel cited ongoing class action lawsuits in countries like the United Kingdom over similar concerns.
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Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, heading a bench that included Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was firm in his stance. He emphasized the critical role vaccines played in controlling the global pandemic, stating, "Because of the Covid Vaccines, we were able to deal with the outbreak which shook humanity. Now don't rake up these issues."
Justice Pardiwala questioned if the petitioner had personally experienced any side effects, to which the counsel responded negatively. CJI Chandrachud further remarked that any serious grievances should be pursued through class action suits, not Article 32 petitions.
The PIL was dismissed, with the Chief Justice adding, "Please understand what the side effects would be of not taking the vaccine,"
This dismissal comes as British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca faces a lawsuit in the UK over its vaccine, with 51 petitioners claiming severe injuries or fatalities due to rare side effects like thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS).