A controversial US-backed study on hepatitis B vaccination among newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been cancelled following widespread criticism over its ethics. The decision was confirmed by Yap Boum of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, who said the trial’s design raised serious concerns about withholding proven vaccines in a country with a high burden of hepatitis B.
The $1.6m study, funded under the authority of Robert F Kennedy Jr and the US Department of Health and Human Services, had drawn strong opposition from scientists and ethicists. Critics argued it would deny thousands of infants access to a life-saving vaccine based on random allocation.
Although US officials said the protocol may be revised, senior figures in Guinea-Bissau confirmed the trial was halted due to ethical concerns. Experts welcomed the move as a victory for research ethics in Africa, urging future studies to be led locally and designed around African public health priorities.
