A US-backed vaccine trial in Africa just got shut down over major ethics alarms. Africa CDC confirmed the hepatitis B study for newborns in Guinea-Bissau is cancelled, following sharp criticism of its design. The project was funded through an office linked to Robert Kennedy Jr. and aimed to withhold the proven vaccine from some infants in a high-risk region.
Yap Boum stated the study violated ethical norms, prompting its halt. Officials are now working on a redesign. Guinea-Bissau authorities initially claimed the trial would proceed, but a later letter stated it was stopped due to design concerns. The country's health ministry leadership has recently changed.
The controversial plan would have involved 14,000 newborns. Half would not receive the hepatitis B shot at birth to test a theory about vaccine interference. Paul Offit condemned this, arguing that the funds should just vaccinate children. About 18% of adults and 11% of infants in Guinea-Bissau have hepatitis B.
Boghuma Titanji called the halt a win for research ethics, criticizing the study as exploitative. Danish researchers Peter Aaby and Christine Benn, who led the project, have faced scrutiny for unpublished past work. They argue that some vaccines can have broad health effects, but their prior studies have been questioned by other scientists.
The researchers have connections to U.S. officials skeptical of vaccines. The trial was criticized for exploiting a lack of vaccine access in Guinea-Bissau, which plans to provide routine birth doses later.
Yap Boum stated the study violated ethical norms, prompting its halt. Officials are now working on a redesign. Guinea-Bissau authorities initially claimed the trial would proceed, but a later letter stated it was stopped due to design concerns. The country's health ministry leadership has recently changed.
The controversial plan would have involved 14,000 newborns. Half would not receive the hepatitis B shot at birth to test a theory about vaccine interference. Paul Offit condemned this, arguing that the funds should just vaccinate children. About 18% of adults and 11% of infants in Guinea-Bissau have hepatitis B.
Boghuma Titanji called the halt a win for research ethics, criticizing the study as exploitative. Danish researchers Peter Aaby and Christine Benn, who led the project, have faced scrutiny for unpublished past work. They argue that some vaccines can have broad health effects, but their prior studies have been questioned by other scientists.
The researchers have connections to U.S. officials skeptical of vaccines. The trial was criticized for exploiting a lack of vaccine access in Guinea-Bissau, which plans to provide routine birth doses later.
