Health Ministry Denies SC Judges Will Have Choice Of COVID-19 Vaccine

Supreme Court judges will not be allowed to choose between Covaxin and Covishield vaccines, the Ministry of Health And Family Welfare clarified following a news report which stated that judges of the apex court could choose between the two vaccines.

BOOM reached out to an official in the Health Ministry who clarified stating that the Supreme Court judges are not allowed to choose between the vaccines.

"It is wrong. They are not allowed to choose. It will be entirely through Co-Win System and the government facility (CGHS Dispensary) within Supreme Court to be used," stated the official to BOOM.

NDTV had initially reported that judges of the Supreme Court will get COVID-19 vaccine shots from Tuesday and they would be able to choose between Bharat Biotech's Covaxin or Serum Institute of India's Covishield.

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However, the channel later deleted their tweet and changed their report adding that the Health Ministry had said judges did not have an option.

NDTV further reported that those eligible for the vaccine in the drive starting tomorrow also includes the families of the judges and retired judges and stated that the Supreme Court registry has arranged a vaccination facility at the court complex and would have an option of getting the jabs at the Supreme Court complex or any hospital listed by the government.

BOOM reached out to a source in the Supreme Court registry who also denied that judges would get an option to choose from the vaccines.

"Judges don't get to choose what vaccine they take. If they want a particular vaccine, then they can choose to go to a particular centre where that particular vaccine is available, like any other citizen as per the rules and guidelines issued by the government," the source told BOOM

Beginning March 1, 2021, the government opened its vaccination centers for the 27 crore senior citizens it intends to vaccinate in the country. This second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive is for people above 60 years and those aged 45 and above with comorbidities with registration on the Co-WIN2.0 portal that opened from 9 am on Monday.

Also Read: Registration For COVID-19 Vaccine Only Through Co-Win Website, Not App

(Additional Reporting: Shachi Sutaria and Ritika Jain)