A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court by a 12-year-old girl named Tia Gupta seeking directions to immediately vaccinate children between 12 and 17 years in Delhi and prioritise vaccination of their parents.
The plea moved by Tia and her mother Neoma Gupta also asks for formulating a comprehensive National Plan concerning children covering all aspects to protect them from the ill effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“My sister and I were talking to our mother on the dinner table about how we miss school and we were talking about how vaccination has opened up for 18 to 45-year-olds. So we asked her why the government can’t even consider us getting vaccinated. That’s how the question came up,” said Tia when asked what led her to file the petition.
But why does she feel an urgent need to vaccinate children when the doctors opine that in most cases children won’t have severe Covid-19. Tia responded, “It’s not only about getting Covid-19 or getting quarantined, it is also about children’s mental health. I know many children who are suffering from anxiety at home. Also, we want to lead a normal life, and getting vaccinated is one step closer to that.” Talking about prioritising parents of 12 to 17 year-olds for vaccination, she said, “Parents should also get prioritised because even if the child has gotten the jab and the parents have not, it makes no sense. So children and parents must be vaccinated.”
On the progress of the petition, Neoma informed, “We have got a notice from by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. He has asked the Delhi government and the Centre to reply. We have to wait for the next date which is June 4.”
Why do you feel there is a need to formulate a comprehensive National Plan concerning children’s Covid-19 vaccination? She replied, “Right now, we don’t have much data but we know the trials are going on. But globally, Pfizer has come into the picture and children are being vaccinated abroad, specifically in the US and Canada. So in India, we should have an opportunity to vaccinate the children so that they can go to school. I understand Covid-19 will not hit them as badly as adults. But after what happened in the second wave, everybody is so scared. Nobody anticipated this outcome. I can’t say whether the Centre or state government should have focused on the National Plan beforehand as it is not a matter of political blame game. All we are asking for is a roadmap, to show us a concrete plan as from what one can gauge vaccination is the only solution. Children are the future and the government has to take care of the future.”