A controversial US-backed study on hepatitis B vaccines for newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been cancelled following widespread criticism over its ethical design. The decision was confirmed by a senior official at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, who said the trial raised serious concerns about withholding proven vaccines in a country with a high burden of the disease.
The $1.6m study was funded under the oversight of Robert F Kennedy Jr and the US Department of Health and Human Services. Critics argued the trial would have denied thousands of infants access to a life-saving vaccine based on random assignment. Although US officials say the protocol is being revised, senior figures in Guinea-Bissau have confirmed the trial was cancelled due to ethical issues.
The halt was welcomed by medical experts, including Paul Offit, who compared the study to past unethical medical experiments. Advocates say the decision marks a significant moment for research ethics in Africa, reinforcing calls for trials to be led by African scientists and designed around local public health needs.
