Covaxin trial for children: Delhi High Court issues notice to Centre, DCGI

The plea maintained that enrolling healthy children for the trial would amount to homicide

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Centre on a plea against the permission granted to Bharat Biotech for conducting the phase II/III clinical trial of Covid-19 vaccines on the age group of 2-18 years.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh refused to pass any interim stay on the permission granted by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on May 13.

Acting on a plea by advocate Sanjeev Kumar against the clinical trials, the court, however, issued notice to the DCGI, Ministry of women and child development and others. It posted the matter for consideration on July 15.

On May 13, the DCGI gave permission to Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research, to conduct Phase II/III trials on people below the age of 18.

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The plea claimed that the children, who would part of the trials should not be termed as volunteer, as they cannot understand the nature of consequences for participating in the trial post their consent.

It maintained that enrolling healthy children for the trial would amount to homicide.

The petitioner raised apprehension that the children who would be part of the trial might suffer adverse health or mental effects due to the use of vaccine on them.

He sought criminal prosecution of the people involved in such trials in the event of death or "loss of peaceful and pleasant enjoyment of life" of any of the toddlers or minors.

He also sought directions to the government authorities to furnish details of the 525 children who will be enrolled in the trial.