EDITOR’S NOTE: When Barbados announced its intention to become a republic, there were loud cries in the United Kingdom that China was influencing that decision. Barbados has since decided not to wait on the COVAX initiative for its vaccines and has instead sourced its first shipment from India.

In contrast, Jamaica a fellow commonwealth member, who at one time also expressed a desire to become a republic, decided to rely on the COVAX facility and has yet to receive any vaccines. While, the Dominican Republic, who is not a Commonwealth member, like Barbados decided not the wait on COVAX and has received their first shipment of vaccines from China.

In this issue, #HealthCaribbean focuses on #COVAX and the inequitable distribution of #vaccines. The United Nations itself has had to instruct “rich nations” not to undermine the COVAX vaccine programme. And, our headline singles out the UK for its role in this. CARICOM, with the exception of a few like Haiti, are Commonwealth member states, but have had to ask the WHO to intervene on this matter.

Professor Paul Brown, a professor of molecular biology at The University of the West Indies, has taken this even further and enquired what happens after the shipments. Hopefully, this will also be discussed. But, I also wander how many Commonwealth member states will remain faithful, or will more follow Barbados, and the lead of others before it who have became republics. How the UK responds going forward may be the determining factor.

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