Stand Up for Science says controversial Hep B vaccine study in Guinea-Bissau is canceled

Stand Up for Science says a planned Hepatitis B vaccine safety study in Guinea-Bissau newborns has been permanently canceled after public pressure and congressional outreach. The group says the outcome could speed vaccine access for newborns in Guinea-Bissau and sharpen scrutiny of U.S.-backed research abroad.

Why it matters: - Stand Up for Science says the cancellation ends a taxpayer-funded trial that would have examined whether the Hepatitis B vaccine birth dose causes negative health effects. - The group says the result could allow vaccines to reach newborns in Guinea-Bissau about a year earlier than planned. - The episode raises broader questions about U.S. involvement in research involving vulnerable populations overseas.

What happened: - A researcher involved in the study confirmed the trial’s cancellation in a LinkedIn post earlier today. - Stand Up for Science said it launched an action campaign after reporting in Rolling Stone in early October that the CDC was moving ahead with funding for the study. - The campaign included a public petition and pressure on Congress to stop the trial.

The details: - The planned study was to test whether the Hepatitis B vaccine given at birth could have harmful health effects. - The birth-dose Hepatitis B vaccine has been used safely for decades. - Dr. Colette Delawalla, founder and CEO of Stand Up for Science, called the cancellation “a huge relief.” - Delawalla said the group will keep working with Congress to investigate the role of the U.S. in the trial. - Delawalla also said Stand Up for Science International, the group’s Switzerland-based NGO, will keep monitoring for other pseudoscientific exploitation of vulnerable people.

Between the lines: - The cancellation appears to show that public pressure can affect federally linked research decisions. - Stand Up for Science is using the victory to broaden its campaign beyond this one trial and toward oversight of international health research. - The group is framing the outcome as both a scientific and ethical issue, not just a policy dispute.

What's next: - Stand Up for Science said it will continue pressing Congress to examine how the U.S. became involved in the study. - The organization said it will support efforts to ensure every newborn in Guinea-Bissau receives the Hep B birth dose as soon as possible. - The group said its international watchdog work will continue to focus on similar cases worldwide.

The bottom line: - The Guinea-Bissau trial is over, but the political and oversight fight around it is not.