The Supreme Court has directed government authorities to resume vaccination drives required for children which have been halted due to nation-wide lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The decision was made yesterday after advocate Santosh Kumar Bhandari, with other lawyers, filed a writ petition claiming that the postponement of various 11 types of vaccines, including those against measles, Rubella, Polio, and BCG and DPT, due to the lockdown has put the lives of children and their right to life at risk.

With the view that newborns could face various health complications if they are not immunized, a single bench of Justice Bam Kumar Shrestha directed the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers as well as the Ministry of Health and Population to resume the vaccination drives.

The Supreme Court also directed the government to resume vaccination programs by creating conducive strategies and safe environment, stating that immunization is children’s fundamental right.