Vaccination is not arbitrary: Indian SC

The Indian Supreme Court has ruled out that no individual can be forced to get vaccinated, reports The Indian Express.

While stating that the Centre’s current vaccination policy is not arbitrary, the Indian Court observed that “On the basis of substantial material filed before this court reflecting the near unanimous views of experts on the benefits of vaccination in addressing severe disease from the infection…mortality and stopping new variants from emerging, this court is satisfied that the current vaccination policy of the union of India…cannot be said to be unreasonable or manifestly arbitrary,” .

While disapproving mandates, it said: “No data placed on record by Union or states controverting data by petitioner in the form of emerging scientific opinion which appears to indicate that the risk of transmission of virus from unvaccinated individuals is almost at par with the vaccinated persons and that in light of this, restrictions on unvaccinated individuals imposed through various vaccine mandates by the states governments/union territories cannot be said to be proportionate.”