New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the government in connection with the death of two girls who allegedly died post Covid-19 vaccination.
The parents of the girls had filed a writ petition in the court seeking a writ, order or direction for appointment of an expert medical board, independent of the government, to inquire into and investigate the deaths of their daughters, to share the report with them, as well as a writ, order or direction to the said expert medical board to prepare a protocol for early detection and timely treatment of AEFI due to Covid-19 vaccine and compensation to the them. “The court agreed to hear the matter and issued notice to the Union of India today,” confirmed Hetvi Patel, lawyer of Venugopalan Govindan, whose 18-year-old daughter Karunya died last year. In a petition filed, Govindan has alleged that his daughter Karunya died after a month of getting the vaccine.
He has further alleged that neither he nor his daughter were informed in advance of the risk of such severe AEFI and their informed consent was not taken. Govindan and another parent – Rachana Gangu from Hyderabad, who lost her daughter Rithaika after getting the shot – had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court last year.
In the petition Rachana has alleged that her daughter Rithaika had received first shot of Covishield in May after which she started having complications. Rithaika suffered severe complications, several sugried and tests took place and finally Rachana got to know that her daughter’s had “Vaccine Induced Thrombotic Thrombocyopenia” (VITT). She has alleged that the doctors were unable to find any links to her condition.
On June 15 Rithaika was declared brain dead by the doctors.
Rachana has alleged that she raised her grievance before the appropriate authorities but she never got a satisfactory response.
“The Government has not prepared any protocol for early detection and timely treatment for the AEFI due to the Covid-19 vaccine such as the ones that led to the death of my 18 year old daughter,” she said.
Rachana alleged that they were compelled to do their own research regarding the Covid-19 vaccines and especially Covishield (Astrazeneca) vaccine.
According to the copy of the petition after the investigations the AEFI committee classified Rithaika’s death in the A1 category which means vaccine product related reaction. However, there’s nothing more that has been done in terms of compensation.
Both parents have alleged that both the girls had no pre-existing health conditions and were completely healthy prior to taking the Covid vaccine.
The parents have therefore approached the court seeking issue of writ to share the report of the autopsy and investigation with them in a time-bound manner.
The parents have also sought a significant monetary compensation which they want to donat to the organizations working on social issues.
