Why Was RFK Jr.’s New Hepatitis B Vaccine Study So Controversial?
As you are probably aware, one of the cornerstones of RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine agenda is a whole new set of vaccine safety studies because he doesn’t believe that vaccines have ever really been tested for safety. And he is starting with the hepatitis B vaccine, awarding millions of dollars to handpicked researchers to conduct a study on newborn babies in Guinea-Bissau, a small country in West Africa.
Why Was RFK Jr.’s New Hepatitis B Vaccine Study So Controversial?
Of course, experts quickly criticized this clinical trial that had a rapid review and approval.
Why?
“The study aims to randomize 14,000 newborns in Guinea-Bissau starting in early 2026 to either receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth or not, before the country’s planned universal birth-dose vaccine policy begins in 2027.”
Guinea-Bissau suspends a US-funded vaccine trial as African scientists question its motives
In a region where the prevalence of hepatitis B is fairly high, about 19%, only half of the babies in the trial would get a vaccine.
“Researchers who oppose the study argue that it is structured in a way that increases the likelihood of detecting harm from the birth dose, even if that harm is not real or clinically meaningful.”
Guinea-Bissau suspends a US-funded vaccine trial as African scientists question its motives
Which means that the other half of those babies would be at risk to develop hepatitis B because they didn’t get a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine!
Vocal opponents of the project in Guinea-Bissau include the country’s former health minister, Magda Robalo.
“It’s not acceptable and it should not go on,” she told the science journal Nature last month. “Guinea-Bissauans are not guinea pigs.”
Planned US-funded baby vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau blasted by WHO
Hopefully it is obvious to every that this is not how modern clinical trials for vaccines work!
“The Guinea-Bissau Hepatitis B study is not a hard case. No study that is sure to expose newborns to a life-threatening involvement with a well-understood fatal disease that can easily be prevented is justifiable.”
Guest post: The CDC hepatitis B study is unethical and must never be published
We don’t do vaccinated vs. unvaccinated clinical trials when it means that unvaccinated babies will get sick and die!
“Persistent HBs antigenaemia developed in only 9 (6%) of the 159 infants receiving prophylaxis, but in 88% of the controls.”
Prevention of perinatally transmitted hepatitis B virus infections with hepatitis B immune globulin and hepatitis B vaccine
Believe it or not, studies with saline placebos have been done with the hepatitis B vaccines and newborn babies. And not surprisingly, they showed that more babies developed perinatal hepatitis B virus infections!
“In its current form, and based on publicly available information, the trial is inconsistent with established ethical and scientific principles.”
Statement on the planned hepatitis B birth dose vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau
Plus, the new study was to be conducted by Peter Aaby…
So even if some babies would get vaccinated in the trial, it would be in a trial that few would trust.
After all, Peter Aaby, is the researcher whose most recent study contradicted all of his earlier work, and who has many critics.
Randomized trials show no evidence of non-specific vaccine effects - a review of all of Peter Aaby’s clinical trials found that they “systematically over-interpreted the findings from their randomized trials.”
Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) meetings
Peter Aaby is the researcher who for years told people that their kids would live longer if they didn’t get a DPT vaccine, and now, those areas with more unvaccinated kids are getting hit with diphtheria epidemics.
And it is no coincidence that unvaccinated children and adults are getting sick and dying with diphtheria.
More on the Hepatitis B Vaccine Study
Where Are the Vaccine Studies That Aren’t Funded by Big Pharma?
Are Vaccines Evaluated for Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity or Impairment of Fertility?
HBV-NSE (Hepatitis B vaccination and non-specific effects) Trial Protocol
CDC awards $1.6 million for hepatitis B vaccine study by controversial Danish researchers
Statement on the planned hepatitis B birth dose vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau
Experts fear ‘unethical’ vaccine trial in Africa is ‘prototype’ for US studies under RFK Jr
Guinea-Bissau suspends US-funded vaccine trial as African scientists question its motives
Planned US-funded baby vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau blasted by WHO
New Documents Reveal a Controversial Vaccine Study’s Unusual Path to CDC Approval
Guest post: The CDC hepatitis B study is unethical and must never be published
This was Bandim's study.