Supreme Court Directs Centre to Frame Compensation Policy for Serious COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects
India’s Supreme Court has directed the central government to formulate a fair compensation policy for individuals suffering severe adverse effects from COVID-19 vaccines while ensuring transparency and continued monitoring of vaccine safety data.
New Delhi | March 11, 2026: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the central government to formulate a comprehensive policy to provide compensation to individuals who suffered serious adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination. The bench, comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, emphasized that the proposed framework must be fair, transparent and free from procedural loopholes. The court clarified that the formulation of a compensation policy should not be interpreted as an admission of fault or negligence on the part of the government. Instead, the policy would serve as a mechanism to provide relief and financial support to individuals who may have experienced serious health complications linked to vaccination.
During the hearing, the bench also directed authorities to continue using the existing surveillance systems designed to monitor adverse events following immunisation. It instructed that relevant data regarding vaccine side effects should be periodically released in the public domain to maintain transparency and public confidence in vaccination programmes. The court further observed that there was no immediate need to establish a new expert committee to examine vaccine-related side effects, as existing mechanisms were already in place for investigation and review.
The case was heard in connection with petitions filed in 2021 by families who alleged that their daughters died after receiving COVID-19 vaccines. In one case, a young woman reportedly died days after receiving the Covishield vaccine, which was manufactured in India by Serum Institute of India based on a formula developed by AstraZeneca. Another petition claimed that an eight-year-old girl died due to blood clots in the brain after vaccination, though a government investigation had earlier stated that no conclusive evidence linking the vaccine to the death had been established. The central government had previously argued in court filings that COVID-19 vaccination was voluntary and that recipients were informed of potential risks. However, the court’s latest directive is expected to pave the way for a formal compensation framework for individuals who suffer rare but serious vaccine-related complications
Follow us On Our Social media Handles :
Instagram
Youtube
Facebook
Twitter
Also Read- Pune
