The Bandim organization has operated in Guinea-Bissau for five decades, but a report from the non-profit Stand Up for Science asserts that the group has done little to improve the country's health and research capacities during that time.
Despite these criticisms, a Danish research ethics committee approved the study earlier this month after altering its rules to consider the trial. The organization is currently fundraising to help roll out the birth-dose vaccines to all newborns nationwide.
The project has drawn international attention, including from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently praised the researchers as the deities of vaccine research at an anti-vaccine conference and cited their previous work on diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis.
Police in Guinea-Bissau have seized hepatitis B immunizations intended for newborns following a raid on the research organization Bandim, according to official announcements.
Official statements confirmed that the seizure of the immunizations did not point to any irregularities regarding the quality, safety, or effectiveness of the vaccines.
Hepatitis B causes cancer and liver failure, killing 15% to 25% of chronically infected individuals, with newborns particularly vulnerable. Vaccination within 24 hours of birth remains safe and highly effective at preventing illness.