A now-halted plan to run a hepatitis B vaccine trial involving thousands of newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been criticised by the World Health Organization as unethical. The US-funded study had sought to give one set of babies the vaccine at birth, while another would have had the shot delayed until six weeks of age. The WHO said it had significant concerns about the plan, and described the birth-dose vaccine as an effective and essential public health intervention, with a proven record.
The US health department, under Robert F Kennedy Jr., aimed to use the trial to explore the vaccine's broader health effects. However, the WHO raised doubts about the scientific justification and ethical safeguards of the study, highlighting that the vaccine has been utilized for over three decades in more than 115 countries. They explained that delaying the vaccine exposed some newborns to potentially irreversible harm.
In Guinea-Bissau, a significant part of the population is estimated to have hepatitis B. The WHO states that administering the vaccine at birth can prevent transmission 70-95% of the time. Critics argue that having a control group that receives no treatment is unacceptable when an effective vaccine is available.
Due to public outrage, including from the former health minister Magda Robalo, the guinea-bissauan government suspended the project last month. While the vaccine is recommended for all newborns, Guinea-Bissau plans to implement the birth dose nationwide by 2028 to comply with global standards.
The US health department, under Robert F Kennedy Jr., aimed to use the trial to explore the vaccine's broader health effects. However, the WHO raised doubts about the scientific justification and ethical safeguards of the study, highlighting that the vaccine has been utilized for over three decades in more than 115 countries. They explained that delaying the vaccine exposed some newborns to potentially irreversible harm.
In Guinea-Bissau, a significant part of the population is estimated to have hepatitis B. The WHO states that administering the vaccine at birth can prevent transmission 70-95% of the time. Critics argue that having a control group that receives no treatment is unacceptable when an effective vaccine is available.
Due to public outrage, including from the former health minister Magda Robalo, the guinea-bissauan government suspended the project last month. While the vaccine is recommended for all newborns, Guinea-Bissau plans to implement the birth dose nationwide by 2028 to comply with global standards.
