US-backed hepatitis B vaccine study halted in Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau has paused a US-supported hepatitis B vaccine study involving newborns, pending an emergency ethical review. According to the country's health minister, the ethics committee, consisting of six members, did not convene prior to the study's…
Guinea-Bissau has paused a US-supported hepatitis B vaccine study involving newborns, pending an emergency ethical review. According to the country's health minister, the ethics committee, consisting of six members, did not convene prior to the study's approval.
The trial aimed to randomly vaccinate certain newborns while withholding the vaccine from others to monitor illness, mortality, and developmental outcomes. This methodology has raised ethical concerns, as the vaccine is known to provide protection in a region where hepatitis B is prevalent.
The leadership of the Africa CDC has endorsed the ethical review, emphasizing that decisions should prioritize African public health interests rather than external agendas.
Guinea-Bissau has paused a US-supported hepatitis B vaccine study involving newborns, pending an emergency ethical review.
Despite the review, US health officials maintain that the study is proceeding. The initiative is funded by a $1.6 million no-bid contract awarded to a Danish research team, which has been linked to anti-vaccine controversies.
The study initially intended to track 14,000 newborns over a five-year period. However, its future is currently uncertain pending the results of the ethical review.
Based on reporting by Africanews.
