A woman is suing the Government of Barbados, claiming she suffered serious health complications after receiving two doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.

In a 2024 claim that appears to be the first of its kind before the Supreme Court, the woman names the Attorney General as the defendant and alleges that the government, in its administration of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme through the Ministry of Health and Wellness, is liable for injuries she says were caused by the vaccine.

Represented by veteran constitutional attorney, King’s Counsel Larry Smith, she alleges that the vaccine administered to her was “defective”. Her claim is that the government failed to provide a product that was as safe as she was entitled to expect under the Consumer Protection Act, and is therefore liable for personal injury and consequential losses.