Outrage grows as CDC reportedly poised to fund "unethical" vaccine trial
Summary
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plans to fund a hepatitis B vaccine trial for newborns in Guinea-Bissau, which was suspended earlier due to ethical concerns. The trial would give some babies the vaccine while withholding it from others, raising worries about exposing infants to dangerous infections.Key Facts
- The CDC is setting aside $1.6 million to fund a controversial hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau.
- The trial was suspended in January after criticism about its ethics and design.
- The study would involve 14,000 newborns, with half receiving the vaccine at birth and half not.
- Hepatitis B can cause serious liver diseases, and vaccinating newborns is a proven method to prevent infection.
- Guinea-Bissau currently does not routinely give newborns the hepatitis B vaccine but plans to start universal vaccination in 2028.
- The trial is led by Danish researchers Christine Stabell Benn and Peter Aaby, who face separate misconduct investigations.
- Experts and the World Health Organization say withholding a proven vaccine in such a trial is unethical.
- Funding this trial may reduce the CDC budget for other health priorities, like fighting Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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