The Maharashtra government on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that it proposes to start vaccination at home on an experimental basis for the bed-ridden. The court told the government counsel that, “Health is a State subject”, and asked if the government’s advisory mentioned an approval was needed from the Centre to begin door-to-door vaccination.
Dr. Dilip Patil, Deputy Director, State Family Welfare Bureau, filed an affidavit before a Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and G.S. Kulkarni. The affidavit was filed in a public interest litigation by two city-based advocates — Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari — seeking door-to-door vaccination for those above 75 years of age and wheelchair-bound.
The affidavit mentioned, “The Union government has constituted National Expert Group on Vaccination Administration (NEGVAC) Committee for COVID-19 comprising of government and non-government experts which has suggested against door-to-door vaccination. The adverse reaction to any injectable drug including vaccine is a well-known risk. Sometimes it may be fatal and, in a hospital, there is trained manpower to treat reactions. As there are a limited number of health care functionaries to manage the aspect of COVID, home vaccination may become an impediment for smooth delivery of health care.”
The State proposed, “Mobile vaccination clinics can be pressed into action which can visit localities and housing societies for those on wheelchairs and bedridden. Maharashtra State Task Force Guidelines for Home vaccination the public health department desires to propose the home vaccination on experimental basis: home vaccination for those truly immobile and bed ridden. The certificate to be mandatorily obtained prior to the home vaccination from treating doctors/family doctors. The said certificate must certify the concerned beneficiary is not likely to have Adverse Events Following Immunization. The family member of the beneficiary shall mandatorily provide written consent. In order to avoid vaccine wastage, atleast 10 concerned beneficiaries shall be made mandatory,” the affidavit reads.
