CDC grant goes to Danish researchers with ties to Tracy Beth Høeg

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently awarded a $1.6 million grant to researchers at the University of Southern Denmark to conduct a study on hepatitis B vaccines. The researchers in question, Christine Stabell Benn and Peter Aaby, lead the Bandim Health Project in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. The study aims to investigate the impact of administering the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, as opposed to the current practice of giving it at 6 weeks of age in Guinea-Bissau.

The grant was awarded in response to an unsolicited proposal, as confirmed by the University of Southern Denmark. The study design involves randomly assigning newborns to receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth or following the standard of care, with the goal of assessing the vaccine’s impact on mortality, morbidity, and long-term developmental outcomes.

However, some experts have raised concerns about the study’s design and ethical implications. The projected length of the study, five years, may not capture the long-term benefits of the vaccine, as the effects of hepatitis B infection typically manifest later in life. Additionally, the idea of withholding the vaccine from some newborns in a high-prevalence country like Guinea-Bissau has been deemed unethical by some experts.

Critics of the CDC’s recent recommendation to do away with the universal hepatitis B vaccine birth dose policy in the U.S. have pointed out that the change was not based on new evidence of vaccine dangers or effectiveness. Stabell Benn and Aaby, known for their research on nonspecific vaccine effects, have suggested that the hepatitis B vaccine may increase susceptibility to other pathogens, particularly among girls.

The study’s applicability to high-income countries like the U.S. has been questioned, given the significant differences in health care access, disease burden, and mortality rates between Guinea-Bissau and countries like the U.S. Some experts have emphasized the need for rigorous ethical review before proceeding with the study.

Stabell Benn’s association with FDA official Tracy Beth Høeg, who has advocated for reducing the number of vaccines given to newborns, has also raised concerns about conflicts of interest. The Bandim Health Project, founded by Stabell Benn and Aaby, has faced scrutiny in the past for failing to publish results of a randomized controlled trial on the DTP vaccine.

In conclusion, the CDC-funded study on hepatitis B vaccines in Guinea-Bissau has sparked debate among experts regarding its design, ethical considerations, and potential implications for vaccine policy. Further scrutiny and ethical review are needed to ensure the study’s validity and relevance to global vaccine policy.