US-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial on newborns cancelled in Guinea-Bissau

A planned vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau funded by the US was cancelled after accusations it was "unethical" and "neocolonial," BBC Health reported. The trial aimed to study the effects of administering the hepatitis B vaccine at birth compared to delaying it, involving 14,000 newborns.

The controversy arose because half of the babies in the trial would not receive the vaccine at birth, despite World Health Organization recommendations. This raised concerns that vulnerable populations in African countries were being exposed to risks not accepted in wealthier nations, according to public health experts cited by the BBC.

The trial was set to take place at the Bandim Health Project, a research center operating in Guinea-Bissau since 1978. Police seized a batch of vaccines from the research center amid the controversy.

The US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, known for vaccine skepticism, was linked to the funding of the trial. The US Department of Health and Human Services was asked for comment by the BBC but had not responded at the time of the report.