EDITOR’S NOTE: As the first shipments of vaccines under the COVAX facility have begun to arrive in Africa, the independent Caribbean states have already received shipments for the most part from the government of India: Jamaica being one of the states that is yet to do so. But recently, shipments have also arrived from China: mainly to the Dominican Republic, and Guyana.

In this issue, #HealthCaribbean takes a look at what Professor Clive Landis, Immunologist and Chairman of The University of the West Indies (UWI) #COVID19 Task Force calls “A new fight back phase”. We feature an interview with Prof. Landis in the UWI News. Our other articles focus on developments in Cuba and Jamaica: from infection to innoculation.

Both countries have been experiencing their worst outbreaks of the virus to date. As mentioned before, Jamaica is one of the last independent states to receive a shipment of vaccines donated by the government of India. Being under a trade embargo, Cuba does not have this option available to it. But over the years it has developed the technology to produce its own vaccines.

I conclude this note with reference to an article by Sir. Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the U.S. and the Organisation of American States, which suggests that: “Cuba’s geographical location in the Caribbean, and its willingness to share a successful vaccine with the developing world, would ease the pressure on CARICOM countries”. And, I surmise the same for Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole.

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