Guinea-Bissau Halts Controversial Hepatitis B Vaccine Study Amid Ethical Concerns

Guinea-Bissau has paused a hepatitis B vaccine study backed by the Trump administration, pending a review by a six-member ethics panel. Concerns arise as the study design withholds vaccines from infants at risk. The US CDC is collaborating with a Danish university on the five-year research project.

Guinea-Bissau has put a hold on a hepatitis B vaccine study funded by the Trump administration, pending ethical review, Health Minister Quinhi Nantot disclosed. The research aims to administer the vaccine to some infants and observe developmental outcomes, prompting ethical concerns over withholding the vaccine from others.

The pause arises due to the ethics committee's lack of initial review and is in line with Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya's demand for ethical examination. Kaseya reaffirmed his agency's commitment to prioritizing African interests, while US health officials reiterated their support for proceeding with the study.

With a $1.6 million contract awarded to Denmark's university, the project involves following 14,000 newborns for five years, stirring debate as mainstream medical consensus affirms the vaccine's protective effect. Criticism persists as the study's design, initially with no placebo, potentially places infants at risk, raising ethical red flags.

(With inputs from agencies.)