New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea seeking directions for public disclosure of data regarding clinical trials and post-vaccination efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.LiveLaw has reported that a bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose issued notice to the Union government, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Drug Controller of India and vaccine manufacturers Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India within four weeks.This petition was filed by Jacob Puliyel.As V. Venkatesan had reported for The Wire Science on May 17, 2021:“Jacob Puliyel, a former member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, has filed a PIL petition in the Supreme Court seeking segregated data from the clinical trials for the vaccines that are part of the Indian government’s ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive.“According to the petitioner, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, vaccines that haven’t been adequately tested for safety or efficacy have been awarded ‘emergency use’ approvals without the data being disclosed to the people. According to him, this act violates the basic norms of scientific disclosure and the guidelines with respect to disclosure of clinical trial data as laid down by the WHO and followed by the Indian Council of Medical Research.”While hearing the plea, the bench referred to the problem of vaccine hesitancy in the country and asked advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was appearing for the petitioner, as to whether entertaining the petition would not create doubt in the minds of over 50 crore people on vaccines.Bhushan’s tweets expressing deep misgivings with COVID-19 vaccines met with criticism on social media recently and were flagged as “misleading” by the social media site.On Monday, Bhushan said that the petition is not “anti-vaccine” and nor is the petitioner is seeking to stop COVID-19 vaccination in the country.Also read: Petition in Supreme Court Seeks Data From Covaxin, Covishield Clinical Trials“It is first time in the history of India that Emergency Use Authorisation has been given for vaccine without full clinical trial. The minimum I am asking is disclosure and transparency. Their own rules say this,” he said, according to LiveLaw, citing the Helsinki Declaration adopted by ICMR.“I’m not asking for vaccination to be halted,” Bhushan said.Justice Rao noted that the court would not pass orders for interim relief against compulsory vaccination at this point.Bhushan also submitted that various governments have issued mandates for compulsory vaccination saying services will be denied to persons who have not taken vaccination.In July, the Manipur high court had pronounced illegal the practice of denying livelihood to people by linking their employment to getting the COVID-19 vaccine.The Meghalaya high court had similarly said in late June that forcible administration of vaccines goes against the “fundamental purpose of welfare” attached to vaccination. Bhushan referred to the Meghalaya high court judgment in the apex court, as well as a Gauhati high court judgment on similar lines.In back and forth with the court, Justice Rao and Bhushan dealt with the effects of the PIL on vaccine hesitancy at length, with Bhushan replying that transparency will help reduce hesitancy.“We appreciate your concern that they have to reveal the entire data on adverse effects. But we have to to see that the situation is very grave. We are still not out of it. We still have 4 lakh cases. Our concern is that if any inquiry at this stage will throw doubts on the efficacy…We are trying to open our mind to the larger public health issue,” LiveLaw quoted Justice Rao as having said.Bhushan also referred to the judgments in the Aruna Shaunbag and Common Cause cases, which recognised the legality of passive euthanasia and living wills, but the apex court asked if the question of personal autonomy can be pressed against a public health interest and observed that the mentioned judgments had a context different from the emergency of the pandemic.“Once we entertain this petition it should not send a signal that we do not trust the efficacy of these vaccines,” Justice Rao remarked during the hearing, according to LiveLaw.