SC issues notice to Centre, others on plea for disclosure of data on Covid vaccines’ trials

The SC bench asked advocate Prashant Bhushan whether entertaining the plea would create doubt over vaccines. Bhushan said the disclosure of data will rather clear all the doubts.

Representational image | A beneficiary receives a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Kerala in July 2021 | ANI

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea seeking directions for disclosure of data regarding clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines.

A bench of justices L Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose issued notice on the plea, and asked the Centre and others to respond to it within four weeks.

While hearing the plea, the bench referred to the problem of vaccine hesitancy in the country and asked advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was appearing for the petitioner, as to whether entertaining the petition would not create doubt in the minds of the citizens over vaccines.

While making it clear that neither it is an anti-vaccine petition nor the petitioner is seeking to stop Covid vaccination in the country, Bhushan said transparency on the issue was needed and disclosure of data would rather clear all the doubts.

The bench was hearing a plea seeking directions for disclosure of data on clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines and also on post vaccination.