Calling the vaccination programme the “largest” in the world, the Centre has informed the Supreme Court that 71,36,71,234 doses have been administered to “eligible adult females”.
It said 90.84% of the adult population have received their first dose and 65% their second as on January 11.
The government was replying to a petition by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights about the safety measures in place for pregnant women and lactating mothers at the time of vaccination.
“Verbal declaration regarding the status of pregnancy/lactation is voluntary and it can only be verified at the time of vaccination,” the Health Ministry said in the affidavit.
Once a woman makes her pregnancy or lactation known to the vaccinator, she is informed about the “risks of COVID-19 infection in pregnancy, the benefits of vaccination along with the likely side-effects of vaccination”.
The Union government, in a separate affidavit, said “23,678 doses have been administered to disabled persons who have voluntarily chosen to be identified as such by using their unique disability card or disability certificate for registration at the time of their vaccination”.
Without any IDs, 58,81,979 persons have been vaccinated under the national vaccination programme, the government said in response to a petition filed by NGO, Evara Foundation.
The case was adjourned by a Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. The Union government was represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati.
In an earlier hearing, the apex court had asked the government to explain steps taken by it to facilitate disabled persons to gain easy access to the vaccine to equally protect them against the virus.
The NGO had argued that protection of disabled persons was explicitly required under the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act. The obligation of the State to avail quick and easy access for them to COVID-19 vaccine also fell within the “Principle of Reasonable Accommodation”.
The Bench had said it wanted to know what steps the government had taken to resolve the “genuine grievances” of persons with disabilities.
