None can be forced to get Covid-19 vaccine, India’s Supreme Court says

No individual in India can be forced to get vaccinated against Covid-19, the country's Supreme Court said today.

It also asked the Indian government to disclose the data on immunisation's adverse events, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The Indian government had earlier clarified that it has not made Covid-19 vaccines mandatory and has only said that vaccination rate should be 100 percent.

"Bodily autonomy and integrity are protected under Article 21 of the Constitution," a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai said while suggesting there be no restrictions on unvaccinated people in public places till Covid numbers are low.

On the basis of available material and considering expert views, the current Covid-19 vaccine policy cannot be said to be manifestly arbitrary and unreasonable, the apex court said.

"Till numbers are low, we suggest that relevant orders are followed and no restriction is imposed on unvaccinated individuals accessing public areas," the bench said.

The apex court also directed the Indian government to make public reports on adverse events of vaccines on a publicly accessible system without compromising on the data of individuals.

The court was hearing a plea filed by Dr Jacob Puliyel, a former member of the National Technical Advisory Group on immunisation, who has sought directions to also disclose post-vaccination data regarding adverse events.

India's top two Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers Bharat Biotech Ltd and Serum Institute of India had opposed the plea and said the petition, purporting to be in public interest, sought to espouse a private motive and attempting to cause vaccine hesitancy and public hysteria in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic.

The government had earlier told the top court that all documents related to Covid-19 vaccines and their compositions were available in public domain, and the vaccine had proven to be very effective and safe.

As on March 13 this year, it said, a total of over 180 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines had been administered in the country, and 77,314 adverse events, which come to 0.004 percent, were reported.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, had earlier argued that whether to get vaccinated or not is an individual decision, and in the absence of informed consent, mandatory vaccination is unconstitutional.