The Center has requested the Supreme Court dismiss a petition filed jointly by the parents of two young women who died allegedly after they took a Covid vaccine. In a 276-page reply to a court notice, the central government stated that they cannot be held liable for the deaths as the vaccines are produced by a third party and that there is no legal compulsion for vaccination.

The affidavit filed by the government included details of the approval procedure. It showed Covishield had gone through a rigorous safety review and regulatory approval process before it was approved for emergency use. The central government stated that the vaccine was approved under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules, which is a "well-established" and "internationally recognized system" with "several layers of independent expert review for safety and 

Additionally, the union health ministry explained that once a vaccine was approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), a detailed examination of scientific evidence and data was conducted by the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NTAGI), followed by another layer of expert review by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19.