A plea has been moved before the Supreme Court seeking to issue directions to the Central government to curb the supply of fake vaccines in the Indian market.
Advocate Vishal Tiwari, petitioner in-person has in the plea cited a recent orange notice issued by Interpol alerting member nations about fake COVID-19 vaccine rackets. The plea sought directions to the Centre to issue strict guidelines under the Disaster Management Act to prevent the supply of fake or counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines.
Further, the plea also prayed for a special committee to be constituted to keep a check on such fake vaccine rackets and run awareness programs to inform the public of such fake vaccines. The plea also sought for the enactment of a law to prevent the criminal act of selling or circulating counterfeit Coronavirus vaccines by any organization or individual.
Interpol had recently issued a notice alerting law enforcement agencies across its 194 member countries about organized crime networks targeting COVID-19 vaccines, both physically and online.
Interpol was cited as saying that counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines, similar to the fake influenza vaccine encountered in Mexico, may pose a significant public health threat if they are ineffective at best or toxic at worst, given their production without hygiene standards in underground labs.
“Similar to the fake influenza vaccine encountered in Mexico, counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines may represent a significant public health threat if they are ineffective at best or toxic at worst, given their production in underground labs without hygiene standards”, Interpol has been cited as saying in the plea.
The plea states that such organized rackets will be carried out physically and through online modes.
“Many websites will be active in committing such fraud. People can be easily attracted by them as the present pandemic has created a situation of fear and uncertainty, so the people in intention to save their lives from the deadly virus can easily fall prey.”
