Journey Through Legal Lens: Legal Battles to Administer Over 220 Crore Vaccine Doses in Record Time

This chapter sketches India’s legal and governance challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, emphasizing the significant role played by Indian Judiciary in supporting the National Covid-19 vaccination Program. It portrays the Indian Judiciary as a guardian of constitutional principles, balancing public health needs with individual liberties under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Key areas of judicial intervention included policy reviews, vaccine mandates, emergency approvals, and equitable distribution strategies. Judiciary reviewed critical policies like vaccine pricing and phased administration of vaccines, digital divides and advocated for vulnerable groups like homeless, elderly, bedridden individuals, migrants, and people without ID card. The judiciary also scrutinized regulatory frameworks, emphasizing transparency in vaccine approvals and adverse event following immunization reporting mechanism. Challenges like certificate corrections, booster dose timing, and international travel requirements were also resolved through legal directives. Highlighting collaborative governance, this chapter celebrates India’s achievement of delivering over 220 crore vaccine doses within 2 years, showcasing an extraordinary union of judicial oversight, government resolve, and public participation.