The saga of the US-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau took another turn today, with health officials in the western African nation saying the study has been suspended pending further technical review.
The comments were made during a press briefing today from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Guinea-Bissau’s director general for public health, Armando Sifna, and public health minister Quinhin Nantote said that the trial is suspended until a committee reviewing the study has the technical resources required to make a final decision.
Last week, Africa CDC officials indicated the trial, which has set to begin this month, had been canceled. But their statements were challenged by officials with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who said the trial was…