Key facts
- Democrats demanded answers from the CDC about a hepatitis B study in Guinea-Bissau.
- The CDC awarded $1.6 million for the study.
- The trial is not proceeding due to lack of governmental approval.
Top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have requested information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concerning the agency's funding of a hepatitis B clinical trial in Guinea-Bissau. The CDC allocated $1.6 million last year to Danish researchers for the study, which aimed to examine the long-term effects of administering the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Guinea-Bissau, where nearly one in five people are infected with the hepatitis B virus, plans to implement a birth dose vaccination program by 2028. However, the trial will not proceed as its lead researcher indicated it did not receive the required governmental approval.