Madras High Court Hopes State Govt To Completely Vaccinate People With Disabilities By September End

The Madras High Court has said that it hopes that the State Government will completely vaccinate people with disabilities residing in the State by September end subject to the statutory gap between the two doses.

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy was dealing with a petition concerning special measures being adopted by the State to vaccinate persons with disabilities.

The Court perused the Health Secretary's report dated July 26, 2021 stating that as on July 21, 2021, 1,10,222 persons with disabilities were vaccinated across the 38 administrative districts in the State.

Furthermore, the report also revealed that more than 11,700 persons with disabilities were vaccinated in Chennai. 

"What is evident is that almost all of the vaccinations pertain to the first dose, apart from 2408 persons who are in institutional care who have received both doses of Covaxin." The Court said at the outset.

In view of this, the Court observed thus:

"It is hoped that every effort is made and the State goes out of its way to ensure that all persons with disabilities residing in the State are completely vaccinated as expeditiously as possible and, preferably by the end of September 2021, subject to the appropriate gap between the two doses being maintained."

The Court therefore observed that substantial effort have been made by State to make special provisions for persons with disabilities and that "there may not be any further apprehension that the State may not take care of persons with disabilities or administer vaccine to such persons."

The writ petition was accordingly disposed of by the Court taking in view the report filed by the Health Secretary as the petition have outlived its purpose.

"In the unlikely event that the second doses are not administered, the petitioner will have liberty to bring such matter to the notice of the court by way of a fresh petition." The Court said.

Title: M.Karpagam v. Commissionerate for the Welfare of Differently Abled

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