Centre refutes job loss claims due to vaccine mandates

New Delhi: Amid claims that people are losing their jobs and ration allegedly due to the Covid-19 vaccine mandates issued by various state governments, the Centre on Monday opposed the argument saying 'nobody is losing anything.'

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, had said the aspect of vaccine mandates that are being issued by several states and other authorities is urgent as people are losing their jobs.

"Right now, what is urgent is the vaccine mandate because people are losing their jobs. They are losing their rations. They are not able to move around freely as a result of these vaccine mandates," Bhushan said.

Opposing this argument, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted that nobody is losing jobs due to non-vaccination.

"Nobody is losing anything and nobody has come before your lordships," he told the bench, which is hearing a matter involving issues in connection with the disclosure of data on clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccines and vaccine mandates.

The bench told Bhushan that there are various situations in connection with vaccines that can be brought before the court, and it cannot handle all the situations.

It further added that high courts can also examine some issues.

Bhushan submitted there is evidence to establish that if a person had the infection, his or her protection from the infection is far superior to any vaccination.

He argued that vaccine mandates are restricting the fundamental rights of the citizens, and added, it is the fundamental right of an individual to decide whether he wants vaccination while clarifying that he was not arguing that the vaccine mandate cannot be issued at all.

After hearing arguments, the top court said it will list the matter for a final hearing.