The Delhi High Court on Friday declined a plea seeking to reduce the wide gap for administering the precautionary dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, saying the court cannot interfere in policy matters.
In the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the petitioner argued that frontline workers and senior citizens are getting booster shots after a wide gap of nine months.
However, the division bench presided over by Chief Justice Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh told Advocate Aditya Laroiya, who appeared for the petitioner, that the policies in the matter are made by doctors who are subject-matter experts, and High Courts will be extremely slow in interfering in such matters.
When the counsel pointed out that the gap is of three months after the second jab in neighboring Sri Lanka, the bench said it is good for general people to discuss foreign policies.
However, the bench said, a writ cannot be filed without homework, especially in relation to a PIL. The petition has been withdrawn accordingly.
According to the current guidelines, nine months or 39 weeks need to have passed since the date of administration of the second dose, to be eligible for the precautionary dose.
Registration for the precautionary dose for healthcare workers, frontline workers, and those aged 60 and above with co-morbidities started on the Cowin portal on January 8.
