The Union health ministry in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court has made it categorical that while the government did encourage citizens to get vaccinated at the peak of the pandemic in the interest of public health, inoculation was never mandatory, and that the government cannot be held liable for any side effects arising from vaccination.

The affidavit was filed earlier this week in a case of compensation demanded by the families of two people who had died allegedly due to side effects of the COVID vaccine.