In brief
In early 2026, Guinea‑Bissau halted a U.S.-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial that planned to withhold life‑saving shots from half of the babies enrolled. The trial, led by a Danish research group and funded by the CDC, drew heavy criticism from health experts and attracted a police raid. The trial’s future and whether it complied with local safety standards remain unresolved.
In early 2026, Guinea‑Bissau authorities halted a U.S.-funded hepatitis B virus vaccine trial for infants, after a police raid seized several vaccine batches in the capital, Bissau.
Trial overview
The study, which aimed to enroll about 14,000 babies, was designed to compare a WHO‑recommended birth‑dose schedule with a later six‑week dose. The researchers planned to monitor health outcomes over five years for both groups.
Funding of $1.6 million came from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the direction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, whose anti‑vaccine views have been noted in the past.
Leadership and controversy
The trial was led by the Bandim Health Project, a Danish research group based in Bissau and part of the University of Southern Denmark. The project is chaired by scientists Christine Stabell Benn and Peter Aaby, who have researched unintended vaccine impacts for decades and have suggested that inactivated‑virus vaccines can cause death.
When the trial was announced in December of the previous year, it sparked widespread anger among health experts who argued that withholding the vaccine from half the infants would expose them to a preventable disease. The Guinea‑Bissau government paused the project and launched a review in January, but the trial was not reauthorized.
Mid‑October, the country’s judicial police raided the project’s facilities, seized vaccine batches, and announced an ongoing investigation into whether the study met national safety standards. No official commentary has yet surfaced.
“The end of the trial was a significant setback for African science.”
A researcher involved in the project said the halt would be an “important loss” for research efforts in the region, citing the trial’s potential to contribute to global vaccine knowledge.
The current status is that investigations continue to determine compliance with safety protocols, and there is no indication that the study will resume. Official statements from the government remain silent, and the future of the remaining vaccine supply is unknown.
While the halt resolves the immediate ethical concerns, the details of whether the trial fully complied with Guinea‑Bissau’s legal and safety requirements remain unclear, as do the final outcomes of the police raid and subsequent inquiries.
