US-funded Hepatitis B Vaccine Study in Guinea-Bissau Canceled Amid Controversy Over Ethical Concerns.
A US-funded study on administering hepatitis B vaccines to newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been canceled due to concerns over its ethics, according to a senior official at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The $1.6 million study had drawn widespread criticism after raising questions about withholding life-saving vaccines from children.
Guinea-Bissau's officials said the trial would proceed but only if redesigned to address ethical issues raised by critics. The CDC's Boum stated that "the way the study was designed" posed significant challenges and led to its cancellation.
Critics have long argued that giving 7,000 newborns a life-saving vaccine while withholding it from another group is morally reprehensible. Paul Offit, an infectious diseases physician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, welcomed the news, saying, "This administration did not see people in Africa as valuable." He likened the study to the infamous Tuskegee experiment, where African American men were denied effective treatment for syphilis.
The cancellation comes amidst a growing movement to push back against what critics say is unethical and exploitative research in Africa. Boghuma Titanji, an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University, said that the halt was "a win for advocacy and upholding the ethics of research." However, she noted that such studies can have long-lasting damage if they proceed as planned.
The study's design had been criticized for prioritizing a trial on vaccine efficacy over its potential impact on public health. Critics argue that trials should be led by African scientists and powered by questions from Africans, rather than being conducted by outsiders with questionable motives.
The cancellation of the study has sparked hope that Guinea-Bissau and other countries can move away from what critics say is exploitative research practices.
A US-funded study on administering hepatitis B vaccines to newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been canceled due to concerns over its ethics, according to a senior official at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The $1.6 million study had drawn widespread criticism after raising questions about withholding life-saving vaccines from children.
Guinea-Bissau's officials said the trial would proceed but only if redesigned to address ethical issues raised by critics. The CDC's Boum stated that "the way the study was designed" posed significant challenges and led to its cancellation.
Critics have long argued that giving 7,000 newborns a life-saving vaccine while withholding it from another group is morally reprehensible. Paul Offit, an infectious diseases physician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, welcomed the news, saying, "This administration did not see people in Africa as valuable." He likened the study to the infamous Tuskegee experiment, where African American men were denied effective treatment for syphilis.
The cancellation comes amidst a growing movement to push back against what critics say is unethical and exploitative research in Africa. Boghuma Titanji, an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University, said that the halt was "a win for advocacy and upholding the ethics of research." However, she noted that such studies can have long-lasting damage if they proceed as planned.
The study's design had been criticized for prioritizing a trial on vaccine efficacy over its potential impact on public health. Critics argue that trials should be led by African scientists and powered by questions from Africans, rather than being conducted by outsiders with questionable motives.
The cancellation of the study has sparked hope that Guinea-Bissau and other countries can move away from what critics say is exploitative research practices.
in Guinea-Bissau. It's crazy to think about giving 7,000 newborns a life-saving vaccine while withholding it from another group - that's just morally wrong 
. I was reading an article on the school forum and someone mentioned the Tuskegee experiment which is like totally horrific. We should never do research that exploits people in third world countries 
. The study's design was all messed up, prioritizing the trial over public health which is not right at all 
. I hope this cancellation inspires other countries to rethink their research practices and involve local scientists and communities in decision-making 
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the idea of withholding life-saving vaccines from kids is just heartbreaking... i think its awesome that guinea bissau officials are like "hold up we need to redo this study" 
and i love how ppl like paul offit are speaking out against it too 
its like, we gotta make sure our research is done with people's best interests in mind not just some profit motive 
like who gives 7k babies one vaccine but not another? it's not just about ethics, it's about power dynamics too 
the fact that a US-funded study got to dictate what's best for african countries is a major red flag 
can't we see how this perpetuates the same colonial mindset that led to those Tuskegee experiments? 
? That's so not true! Africans are just as deserving of respect and care as anyone else. This whole thing is a big wake-up call for all us to be more mindful of how we're treating others, especially those who need our help the most 
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This vaccine trial was a disaster waiting to happen! Giving 7k newborns one life-saver while withholding it from another group? 
no thanks.
. And the fact that it was funded by the US government just adds fuel to the fire 
. Who do these researchers think they are, playing God with people's lives? 
It's like, vaccines are meant to save lives not be used as part of some shady experiment! 
The way it was designed was just plain wrong and it's amazing that people like Dr Boum and Boghuma Titanji are speaking out against it. 
I'm all about supporting these advocacy movements because they're fighting for what's right! 
Fingers crossed more countries will follow suit! 
. I mean, think about it - if it were happening here, the outcry would be massive! 
Boghuma Titanji said it best: this cancellation is a win for advocacy and upholding those values 
and what's up with the "explore vaccine efficacy" excuse? isn't that just a fancy way of saying "we want to see if it works before we give it to anyone"? 
. And to make matters worse, the fact that it was being funded by the US government is like, a whole other can of worms 
. Like, how do we know what their motives are? Are they really looking out for the best interests of the people in Guinea-Bissau or is this just another way to exert control over them? 
. And can we please get some African scientists at the helm of these trials instead of outsiders with questionable motives? That's the kind of change we need to see 
. and now it's all over twitter because people are rightfully mad 
Like, isn't that a no-brainer?! Giving life-saving vaccines to 7k newborns is literally the best thing we can do for them. Not withholding it from another group? That's just basic human decency 
. Like, who does that?! 
!
Anyway, I think it's awesome that people are speaking out against these kinds of trials. Giving life-saving vaccines to some kids while denying them to others is just messed up 
. We should be looking at ways to improve healthcare access in Africa, not exploiting vulnerable populations for research purposes 