Guinea-Bissau Police Seize Hepatitis B Vaccines Linked to Suspended US Trial

Judicial police in Guinea-Bissau seized a batch of hepatitis B vaccines during a raid at a clinical trial facility in Bissau. The intervention targeted the premises of the Bandim Health Project, an institution directed by Danish researchers who were overseeing a suspended, US-funded study involving roughly 14,000 newborns.

Judicial Police Raid Bandim Health Project Premises in Bissau

Police executed a search warrant at the Bandim Health Project facility, confiscating a stock of hepatitis B vaccines slated for infants across Guinea-Bissau. According to an official police statement cited by africaradio.com, the raid served as an investigative step aimed at uncovering the circumstances surrounding the vaccine batch while protecting public health and the interests of children. Authorities noted that the seizure does not in itself establish any irregularities regarding the quality, safety, or efficacy of the vaccines.

World Health Organization Questions Ethics and Suspends Trial

The suspended clinical trial previously evaluated whether only a portion of 14,000 newborns would receive a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine. In February, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the research failed to meet established scientific and ethical principles based on publicly available information. The WHO noted that chronic hepatitis B affects more than 12 percent of adults in Guinea-Bissau, while the infection rate among children under five reached approximately two percent in 2020, remaining well above global targets.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grant Financing

The study received a 1.6 million dollar grant, equivalent to 1.4 million euros, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Representatives under the leadership of Robert Kennedy Jr. defended the funding by stating the research intended to address broader health effects of the vaccine and fill missing evidentiary gaps. The Danish researchers running the trial have previously examined suspected vaccine risks, drawing prior scrutiny from the scientific community over their investigative methods.

Investigation Continues Into Seized Vaccine Batch Circumstances

Hepatitis B remains a major global health challenge that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths annually according to WHO data, which identifies transmission at birth as the primary route for lifelong infection. Judicial authorities in Bissau have not yet disclosed what specific findings prompted the raid, and officials have yet to announce when technical reviews of the suspended trial will conclude or whether the seized vaccine doses will be released for standard public immunization programs.