US-backed vaccine trial on babies canceled after international outcry
The decried trial was canceled last week before police seized vaccine doses.
The decried trial was canceled last week before police seized vaccine doses.
The short version
- Government officials in Guinea-Bissau have formally rejected a clinical trial that would be run by Danish researchers and funded by the US to look for alleged nonspecific harms from the newborn dose of the hepatitis B vaccine.
- The vaccine dose is currently recommended globally for all newborns and has been used safely and effectively for decades.
- Stabell Benn highlighted that the police search came after the trial was rejected.
What happened
It has been widely decried as “unethical” because it would withhold the newborn dose of hepatitis B vaccine from half of the participants. With the country’s high rates of chronic hepatitis B infections, this would put thousands of babies at risk of developing a lifelong infection that can lead to liver cirrhosis, cancer, and premature death.
Why it matters
Experts have further said that there is no scientific justification for the study, given the vaccine’s long use and strong safety record.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.