No individual can be forced to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the Supreme Court said on Monday. Bodily autonomy and integrity are protected under Article 21 of the Constitution, a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai said. The SC also said that based on available material and considering expert views, the Centre’s COVID-19 vaccine policy cannot be said to be manifestly arbitrary and unreasonable.

The bench suggested that there be no restrictions on unvaccinated people in public areas until COVID-19 numbers are low. The top court, however, said in the interest of protection of communitarian health, the government is entitled to regulate issues of public health concern by imposing certain limitations on individual rights, which are open to scrutiny by constitutional courts.