DAKAR, Senegal — The West African nation of Guinea-Bissau has announced the suspension of a controversial hepatitis B vaccine study on newborns that was backed by the Trump administration. Health Minister Quinhi Nantot confirmed the pause pending a comprehensive ethical review, revealing that the initial confirmation process lacked proper oversight from a six-person ethics committee.
The study design, structured as a randomized controlled trial, proposed administering the hepatitis B vaccine to some infants while withholding it from others. Researchers intended to track participants for mortality rates, illness patterns, and long-term developmental outcomes. This methodology has drawn significant criticism from medical ethicists who argue that deliberately withholding proven vaccines from vulnerable newborns—particularly in a region with high hepatitis B prevalence—raises serious ethical concerns.
Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jean Kaseya expressed full support for the ethical review process while maintaining the agency’s “excellent relationship” with the U.S. government. “We are led by the interests of our people in Africa,” Kaseya emphasized during a press conference. “We are not led by the small interests of individual people.”
The research initiative originated from a $1.6 million no-bid contract awarded by the Trump administration to the University of Southern Denmark. The grant went to scientists whose work has been cited by anti-vaccine activists and questioned by mainstream public health experts. Notably, research team leader Christine Stabell Benn serves as a consultant for a committee appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which recently voted to stop recommending hepatitis B vaccines for all American newborns.
Despite the suspension, U.S. health officials maintain that the study remains active. Andrew Nixon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, stated: “The study is proceeding as planned, and we continue to work with our partners to finalize the study’s protocols.” The research was scheduled to begin early this year in Guinea-Bissau, targeting 14,000 newborns over a five-year period, with the first 500 participants followed for behavioral and brain development monitoring.