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Plans for a US-backed hepatitis B vaccine study on newborns in Guinea-Bissau have ignited controversy and debate among global health experts. As part of the project, Washington intends to allocate $1.6 million to a Danish research group to examine outcomes of administering the vaccine at birth versus the country’s standard schedule, which begins at six weeks. The proposal follows a recent decision by a US advisory panel to end its recommendation for universal hepatitis B shots at birth. Critics argue the trial risks denying infants a proven, life-saving intervention, calling it ethically flawed. However, researchers defend the design, countering that half the babies will get an extra, earlier dose they wouldn’t normally receive.
SEMAFOR