RFK Jr’s ‘deities of vaccine research’ raided by police in Guinea-Bissau

Police seize doses of hepatitis B vaccine from people at center of dispute over research on African newborns

RFK Jr’s ‘deities of vaccine research’ raided by police in Guinea-Bissau

TL;DR

  • Police in Guinea-Bissau raided the offices of researchers associated with the Bandim Health Project, seizing hepatitis B vaccine doses.
  • The Bandim Health Project researchers have been criticized for studies that could deny hepatitis B vaccines to newborns.
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has publicly praised the Bandim Health Project researchers.
  • The World Health Organization and Guinea-Bissau's health minister have raised ethical concerns about the research.
  • The research is funded by grants from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and private foundations.
  • A report suggests the Bandim organization has not significantly improved Guinea-Bissau's health capacities over decades.
  • The police raid occurred in a nation described as 'fragile' following a recent military coup.