A new study about the hepatitis B vaccine in Guinea-Bissau has caused a lot of discussion. The US government is giving $1.6 million for this study. This comes after a change in advice from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC now says the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns is a personal choice. This is different from their old advice. Many believe these changes are because Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. worries about vaccine safety.
The study will happen in Guinea-Bissau, a country in West Africa. Many people there have hepatitis B. Almost one in five adults is affected. Health experts are very worried about this study. They call it "unethical" and "risky." They think studying a vaccine that is already used could harm people. It might also make people trust US science and health programs less.
These decisions are part of bigger changes in how the US handles childhood vaccines. Health Secretary Kennedy Jr. has supported these changes. His government also stopped funding Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This surprised many people around the world. Gavi has helped vaccinate over 1.2 billion children. This work has saved many lives. The reason for stopping support is said to be a study from 2018 about the DTP vaccine.
However, the science behind this reason is debated. The 2018 study suggested a link between the DTP vaccine and more deaths in young girls in Guinea-Bissau. But later, a different study by some of the same researchers had different results. These new results made the first study's ideas less important. This raises questions about why the US stopped supporting Gavi.
Health Secretary Kennedy Jr.'s strong beliefs seem to be the main reason for these changes. Dr. Paul Offit said Kennedy Jr. "believes vaccines cause harm." This belief is now leading to real policy changes. Professor Gavin Yamey said testing known vaccines in a country with many health problems is like "neocolonialism." These actions could increase distrust in the US and science. This could hurt the progress made in global health and trust in vaccines.