SC asks Center to draft ‘no-fault compensation policy’ for serious Covid vaccine side effects

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Center to formulate a no-fault compensation policy for people suffering serious adverse effects due to COVID-19 vaccines.A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said the existing mechanism for monitoring adverse events after immunization should continue.The Supreme Court ordered: “The Union of India will formulate a no-fault compensation policy for serious adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination. The existing monitoring mechanism for adverse events after vaccination should be continued and relevant data can be made public on a regular basis.”“Given the existing mechanisms for the scientific assessment of adverse events following immunization, there is no need for a separate court-appointed expert body,” it added.However, the Supreme Court said the introduction of such a compensation scheme should not be seen as an admission of any wrongdoing by the government.The Supreme Court ruled on the plea, one of which alleged that two women died after taking the first dose of the Covishield vaccine in 2021. The petition further claimed that both of them suffered severe adverse effects after the immunization.In early 2022, the Kerala High Court directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to “expeditiously” formulate a policy to identify people who died due to sequelae of Covid-19 immunization and compensate their families.Justice V G Arun directed the NDMA to take necessary action “as soon as possible” but within three months of issuing the order on September 1.The direction came after Justice Arun said he had personally come across three such cases in the current jurisdiction where it was alleged that a person who had been immunized against Covid-19 died due to sequelae of vaccination.