Incorrect date, venue in vaccination certificate: Kerala High Court directs enquiry by DMO

Kochi, Sep 23: Incorrect date and venue of second vaccine dose in a COVID vaccination certificate prompted the Kerala High Court on Thursday to order an enquiry to ascertain whether it was a genuine mistake or some mischief.

Justice P V Kunhikrishnan said if the incorrect details in the certificate were due to a mischief, then stringent action needs to be taken against the officials involved.

The court directed the District Medical Officer of Ernakulam to carry out the enquiry as the venue of the second jab was a vaccination centre there according to the certificate. It said that if it was a mistake, then it was understandable and a new certificate can be issued with corrections.

"However, if it was otherwise, if there is some mischief, then stringent action be taken against the officials concerned," the court said and listed the matter after a week. The court was hearing a plea by one K P John, moved through advocates C Dileep and Anushka Vijayakumar, alleging falsification of details in the vaccination certificate.

Vijayakumar told the court that her client received the first dose in March and the second in April, both from a vaccination centre in Aluva, and had never gone to Ernakulam for a jab.

However, when the vaccination certificate was made available in July, it showed that the second dose was administered in July and that too at a vaccination certificate in Ernakulam.

The petitioner has also claimed that a letter was sent to the DMO of Ernakulam and a legal notice was sent to the hospital there where the vaccination centre was located for making corrections in the certificate, but nothing was done till date and therefore, the instant petition was filed. The petitioner has also sought issuance of a corrected vaccination certificate.