CDC May Fund Risky Vaccine Trial on Babies in Africa

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is under fire for reportedly planning to fund a controversial vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau, a small West African country. The trial would enroll 14,000 newborns, but only half would receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth—a shot that has been proven safe and effective for decades and is standard care worldwide. The other half would get a placebo, leaving them vulnerable to a virus that can cause liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death.

The trial was suspended in January after its unethical design sparked international outrage. But in late September, CDC staff were told to set aside $1.6 million for the trial, according to Rolling Stone. That money would be pulled from global health security programs—funds that could otherwise fight outbreaks like the current Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The trial would be run by Danish researchers Christine Stabell Benn and Peter Aaby, who are already under investigation in Denmark for alleged scientific misconduct.

Experts, including the World Health Organization, say the trial violates ethical guidelines. The WHO points out that withholding a proven vaccine cannot be justified by resource constraints—especially when the goal is to test hypothetical harms that lack credible evidence. Guinea-Bissau plans to offer the birth dose universally by 2028, but currently lacks the resources to do so. The researchers argue that since babies there don't routinely get the shot, it's ethical to compare vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. Outside experts strongly disagree.

For now, the trial remains halted, but the CDC's reported funding plan has reignited concerns. If it moves forward, US tax dollars would support research that many consider dangerous and unethical, potentially undermining trust in vaccines and global health efforts.