The Centre has sought more time to submit its counter affidavit in response to the Kerala Pravasi Association’s Supreme Court petition, which questions the effectiveness of rabies vaccines and treatments. 

The court, observing that valuable lives are being lost during ongoing discussions, voiced concerns over the prolonged delay in resolving the matter. Given that the case has been pending for two years, the court directed the Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Chief Secretary of Kerala to submit a counter-affidavit within six weeks or appear in-person at the next hearing.
The bench, comprising Justices C.T. Ravikumar and Sanjay Karol, heard the case (WPC No. 882/2022) listed as item 47. Despite receiving notice in 2022, the Central Government requested additional time in March 2024, stating that discussions are still ongoing to address the issue.

The petition, filed by Kerala Pravasi Association Chairman Rajendran Vellapalath and President Aswani Nambarambath, calls for an expert committee to assess the efficacy of intradermal rabies vaccines for humans and veterinary vaccines for dogs. It also urges uniform implementation of national rabies prevention guidelines and raises concerns over the rapid release of vaccines in Kerala, claiming this violates constitutional rights and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940.

The petition highlighted concerns regarding the manufacturing and testing process of human rabies vaccines, as per the National Center for Disease Control guidelines, which typically takes at least 3-4 months. Shockingly, vaccines were made available in Kerala within just 14 days of production. The KPA’s petition argued that using such vaccines without proper quality checks violates Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution and breaches the 1940 Drugs and Cosmetics Act.