Planned US-funded baby vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau blasted by WHO

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete February 14, 2026 at 05:20 PM

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has criticized a now-halted, US-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial planned for Guinea-Bissau as unethical. The $1.6 million study, involving 14,000 newborns, aimed to compare administering the vaccine at birth versus at six weeks. The WHO expressed "significant concerns" regarding the study's scientific justification, ethical safeguards, and consistency with established research standards, emphasizing the birth-dose vaccine's proven effectiveness in preventing mother-to-child transmission. The WHO recommends administering the vaccine within 24 hours of birth and argued that withholding the proven vaccine from some newborns exposed them to potential harm. Public outrage in Guinea-Bissau led to the government suspending the trial last month.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Denmark 40% Robert F Kennedy Jr 50% Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 60% United States ×270% Hepatitis B ×570% Guinea-Bissau ×780% World Health Organization ×890%

Keywords

hepatitis b vaccine 100% vaccine trial 90% guinea-bissau 80% ethical concerns 70% world health organization 70% newborns 60% birth dose vaccine 60% public health intervention 50% us centers for disease control and prevention 50% vaccination 40%