Controversial CDC hep B vaccine study in Guinea-Bissau may be canceled

CIDRAP news story

16 January 2025 — A $1.6 million vaccine study in the small West African nation of Guinea-Bissau — announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month — has caused concerns and confusion from the very beginning.

Although the World Health Organization advises giving a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine to prevent infants from being infected during delivery, researchers leading the new study plan to randomly assign only half of the 14,000 newborns in the clinical trial to receive it.

Now, the controversial study — scheduled to begin this month — may be canceled.

At a Thursday briefing of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, an official told reporters that the study won’t take place as planned.

That news surprised officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“It is not our view that the study has been canceled,” said an official at HHS not permitted to speak on the record.

Read the full news story here.SEE ALSO: