Woman sues Barbados government over alleged vaccine side effects

A woman has filed a lawsuit against the Barbados government, alleging that she suffered severe health complications after receiving two doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in 2021. The claim, filed in 2024, names the Office of the Attorney General as the defendant, with the woman alleging the Health and Wellness Ministry is liable for her injuries.

Represented by constitutional attorney Larry Smith, the woman claims the vaccine was "defective" and that the government breached the Consumer Protection Act by failing to provide a product as safe as she expected. She received her first dose in April 2021 and the second in June of that year. Approximately two months later, she developed a "swollen bruise" with "severe pain" below her right knee.

Her symptoms reportedly worsened, including severe chest pain and shortness of breath, leading her to seek medical attention. Doctors were initially unable to identify the cause. The bruising spread, energy levels declined, and she was eventually referred to a specialist for hematology assessments and testing, while also being placed on sick leave.

Assessments by the Barbados Drug Service's pharmacovigilance team identified a "suspected drug-induced reaction post vaccination." Blood tests at the Barbados Reference Laboratory indicated vaccine-induced blood clotting side effects. A final medical assessment described her condition as a "suspected case of vasculitis following the administration of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine."

The woman alleges she sent five letters to the government between January 2022 and July 2023 detailing her concerns about liability, but received no "substantive reply." An email from the Prime Minister's Office in February 2022 acknowledged receipt of one letter and stated it had been forwarded to the chief medical officer.