United States backed newborn hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea Bissau halted

A controversial vaccine trial in newborns in Guinea Bissau will not move forward, the lead researcher confirmed on Wednesday. The Guardian reported that Frederik Schaltz Buchholzer, a Danish researcher, wrote on LinkedIn that the study was halted because researchers were not given the necessary governmental approval. The study had been planned for funding by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [1]

The announcement follows statements from the government of Guinea Bissau denying that the project was sanctioned. According to the Guardian, Quinhin Nantote, the minister of health in Guinea Bissau, stated that claims the trial would move forward were not even remotely true. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, the Danish led study was designed to track general health outcomes in babies, including overall mortality and neurodevelopmental conditions, rather than focusing on vaccine safety. The proposed trial was championed by Robert F Kennedy Jr, the United States Health secretary, and was backed by the United States government alongside private partners. [5]