Judicial police in Guinea-Bissau raided the offices of a group of vaccine researchers and seized doses of hepatitis B vaccine, local officials said in a statement on Facebook. The raid targeted individuals who have been central to a contentious debate over research on newborns in the West African country.
The researchers have drawn international attention and controversy; they have been publicly praised by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and, according to reports, by the US Department of Health and Human Services secretary. Authorities did not provide further operational details in the Facebook post about the grounds for the raid or any subsequent legal actions.
The research project at the heart of the dispute has received $1.6 million from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), funding that was matched by contributions from the Pershing Square Foundation and the Bluebell Foundation, bringing the total reported support to $3.2 million. The project involves work with African newborns, which has prompted scrutiny and debate among local and international observers.
The seizure of vaccine doses and the police action come amid an ongoing controversy over the conduct and oversight of the research. Officials’ Facebook post provided the initial public confirmation of the police operation; further details on the status of the seized vaccines, the investigators, or any formal charges were not included in that announcement.