health

February 14, 2026

WHO slams US-funded newborn vaccine trial as "unethical"

CDC awarded $1.6 million for study birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine in Guinea-Bissau.

WHO slams US-funded newborn vaccine trial as "unethical"

TL;DR

  • The WHO has formally stated a US-funded vaccine trial is unethical.
  • The trial withholds a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose from some newborns in Guinea-Bissau.
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided $1.6 million for the trial.
  • Danish researchers Christine Stabell Benn and Peter Aaby are leading the trial.
  • The WHO cited concerns about harm reduction, benefit to participants, and bias in the trial's design.
  • Withholding the vaccine could lead to serious and irreversible harm like chronic infection, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
  • The trial appears to be suspended pending reviews, though the US Department of Health and Human Services initially stated it was proceeding.
  • The hepatitis B vaccine birth dose is an essential public health intervention that prevents life-threatening liver disease.

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