SC dismisses plea for centre-wise data of anti-diarrhoea vaccine trial

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking centre-wise data of the clinical trial of anti-diarrhoea vaccine Rotavac, saying it cannot sit in appeal over the decision taken by an expert committee on the issue.

Rotavirus vaccine, Rotavac, claims that it protects children from viruses, which are the leading cause of severe diarrhoea among them.

A bench of justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan passed the order while hearing a plea seeking directions to the Centre and others to make public the "segregated data" on the results of third phase of clinical trial of Rotavac involving 6,799 infants.

The plea had stated the trials were conducted at three centres at Delhi, Pune and Vellore to gauge the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

It had claimed that the data should have been examined by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) in "public interest but such is the secrecy surrounding it, it has not been provided even to this apex body".

During the hearing