WHO Criticizes US-Funded Newborn Vaccine Study in Guinea-Bissau

The World Health Organization (WHO) has voiced strong opposition against a recently proposed vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau, which is primarily funded by the United States. The trial intends to administer an existing hepatitis B vaccine to select newborns while withholding it from others, a move the WHO deems fundamentally unethical.

According to the WHO, the ethical implications of providing treatment to some infants but not to others in such a vulnerable population raises serious moral concerns. This trial's design has sparked outrage among health advocates and professionals who argue that every newborn should have access to necessary vaccines without discrimination.