A controversial US-backed $1.6 million vaccine trial involving 14,000 newborns in West Africa has been cancelled
A controversial US-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial involving 14,000 newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been cancelled after the government refused to authorise the research, following international criticism over its proposed design and the risks it could pose to babies.
By Solomon EkanemSouth Africa
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WHO criticised the design, saying that withholding the birth dose from half the participants could expose newborns to preventable infection and potentially lifelong liver disease. [Image: NPR]
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About this article
- Length
- 27 words · 1 min read
- Published
- November 5, 2026
- Byline
- Solomon Ekanem
- Source
- Business Insider