US-funded vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau sparks controversy

Danish researchers planned a controversial vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau to study the effects of administering hepatitis B vaccines to 14,000 newborns at birth or six weeks later. Public outrage led the government to suspend the trial, with critics questioning the ethics of withholding vaccines from half of the babies. The researchers, part of the Bandim Health Project, have faced scrutiny for previous studies linking vaccines to adverse effects, leading to calls for further investigation. The trial’s ethical implications and the researchers’ credibility are under intense scrutiny.

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