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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Melody Schreiber

Guinea-Bissau denies it has approved controversial vaccine trial in newborns

a vial and syringe
The trial would withhold hepatitis B vaccines from thousands of newborns in a country where the disease is widespread. Photograph: Phanie/Sipa Press/Alamy

Guinea-Bissau has not approved the controversial hepatitis B study in newborns that would be funded by the US government and private partners, the African country’s minister of health said on Tuesday.

The study, which would not investigate the safety or effectiveness of vaccines but would instead track “nonspecific” health outcomes like overall mortality or neurodevelopmental conditions, has been championed by Robert F Kennedy Jr, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a longtime anti-vaccine activist.

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