Controversial US-backed vaccine trial in African newborns halted

A controversial US-backed hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau has been abandoned after failing to secure required government approval, the lead researcher announced. The study, which faced international criticism, was set to be funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but will no longer proceed. The decision follows ongoing ethical and procedural concerns, with the researcher confirming the project’s halt in a public statement. The development raises questions about the future of similar global health trials in the region.

Hepatitis B study in Guinea-Bissau that was to be funded by CDC and that drew global backlash ‘will not move forward’The US-backed hepatitis B vaccine trial in African newborns that drew global backlash was halted, the lead researcher said on Wednesday.It was “now clear” that the study “will not move forward in Guinea-Bissau”, Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer, a Danish researcher, wrote on LinkedIn, adding, “we were not given the necessary governmental approval.” Continue reading...