Cannot hold govt liable for deaths due to Covid vaccine side-effects: Centre to Supreme Court

Almost two years after India rolled out the "world's largest" immunisation programme against Covid, the Union government has said that it is not liable to provide compensation for deaths due to vaccine side-effects, according to a Hindustan Times report.

The Narendra Modi administration recently filed an affidavit in response to a petition filed by the parents of two young women who died after getting Covid vaccines in 2021.

Also read|Spike in Measles cases in Mumbai, one-year-old girl dies

The petition had sought an independent investigation into the deaths, formulation of a protocol for early detection and timely treatment of adverse effects following immunization (AEFI).

The government said that holding the state responsible for "extremely rare deaths" due to vaccine side-effects "may not be legally sustainable". The government added that in cases where death is caused by vaccines, the only remedy is seeking compensation through civil courts.