Guinea — Bissau Vaccine Trial Raises Ethical Concerns, Linked to US Studies. City, Country — An ongoing vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau has sparked ethical concerns among experts, with some fearing it could serve as a prototype for similar studies in the United States.
The trial, involving the hepatitis B vaccine, has been suspended following allegations of unethical practices and scientific unsoundness.
The Danish researchers at the center of the controversy have been working in Guinea — Bissau for 48 years. Their study aimed to examine the overall health effects of hepatitis B vaccines by vaccinating only half of the newborns at birth, despite an 18% prevalence rate of the disease in adults. This decision has raised eyebrows among health experts and activists.
Stand Up for Science, a science and health nonprofit, sent an investigator to Guinea — Bissau to review public records and interview experts.
The organization shared its findings with members of Congress on February 19, highlighting concerns about the Bandim Health Project’s role in public health in Guinea-Bissau and the challenges of conducting ethical research in the region. “We are fearful that this is a prototype for other studies, “said Colette Delawalla, founder of Stand Up for Science.
The organization is worried that the US could fund global studies with similar ethical concerns, potentially leading to deadly outcomes.
The Danish researchers have deep ties with the current US administration. Robert F.
Kennedy Jr.
Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a long-time vaccine critic, has cited one of the researchers, Peter Aaby, as influential in his views on vaccines.
The Guinea — Bissau ethics committee has also come under scrutiny.
The committee charges a fee for each study review, which could influence its members to approve protocols.
Additionally, the committee is not equipped to review research of this nature, according to Magda Robalo, former minister of health and president of the Institute for Global Health and Development in Guinea — Bissau. Informed consent is challenging to obtain in Guinea-Bissau due to low literacy rates and language barriers. “.
How can there be informed consent if there isn’t even good language to describe to the people what they’re protecting themselves against by getting or not getting the vaccine?”
Delawalla asked.
The University of Southern Denmark has paused all work related to the study while it is reviewed.
The WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called the study “unethical to proceed with.”Further details are expected as the situation develops.
