By S.Browne. Updated 9:39 a.m., Friday, August 21, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Experiences of hardship, workplace disruption and family strain associated with St Vincent and the Grenadines’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate were revisited on August 13 as Vincentian authors Shefflorn and Ann-Marie Ballantyne officially launched their book documenting the experiences of affected workers.
I Do Not Consent: The Vincentian Chapter of the COVID-19 Plandemic was launched at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ Union Headquarters under the theme, “Be a Part of the Conversation”.
The event brought together representatives of the executive of the Teachers’ Union and Public Service Union, the Thusian Institute for Religious Liberty Inc. (TIRL), the Thusia Seventh-day Adventist Church, members of the media, radio hosts and social activists, as well as others who participated in discussions about the mandate and its impact.
The book was first released as a Kindle edition on November 19, 2025. The authors said the in-person launch fulfilled a commitment they had made at the time to hold an official local launch in 2026.
According to the authors, the book draws on first-hand interviews with Vincentian workers who were affected by the November 2021 vaccine mandate.
During the launch, the Ballantynes spoke about the stories they encountered while conducting interviews, including accounts of families experiencing financial hardship and workers having to find alternative means of earning an income.
“To hear how families’ lives had been disrupted, parents separated from their children to sustain their household, children’s university studies cut short, people forced to give up their homes or leave them in a state of disrepair, teachers reduced to selling snacks or provisions on the street just to make ends meet, was heartbreaking,” the authors said.
The authors also made claims concerning people they said had suffered injuries or died after receiving COVID-19 vaccines, and criticised the government’s handling of the mandate. Those claims were presented as the authors’ account and position on the events.
The November 2021 mandate, introduced under the then United Labour Party administration, became a contentious issue, particularly among workers who declined vaccination and subsequently faced restrictions relating to their employment.
The launch allowed attendees to share their own experiences of that period.
The authors said participants spoke about being locked out of their workplaces and feeling pressured to take the vaccine because of financial obligations, including mortgages.
Special remarks were delivered by current Teachers’ Union President Fiona Charles-Williams, immediate past president Oswald Robinson and TIRL Associate Director Anesia Baptiste.
Baptiste described the book as important for “record, history and inspiration”, while sharing what she described as recent revelations from former United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr Anthony Fauci’s diary.
Newly appointed Assistant Commissioner of Police Brenton Smith was also among those attending the event.
Smith later reflected on the launch in a Facebook post, describing the evening as “much more than a book launch”.
“The evening was well attended, but for me, it was much more than a book launch,” Smith wrote.
He said the discussion brought back memories of what he described as “insults, humiliation, uncertainty and hardship” experienced by people during the mandate period.
Smith said people had been placed in “extremely difficult circumstances” because of their decision not to comply with the mandate, adding that families were affected, livelihoods disrupted, careers interrupted and workplace relationships strained.
The event was structured as an interactive discussion, with the authors encouraging attendees to continue talking about the experiences surrounding the mandate.
The book is presented by the authors as a record of the experiences of Vincentian workers affected by the November 2021 policy, based on interviews with individuals who agreed to share their stories.
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