(MedPage Today) – An official from the Africa CDC said if it moves forward, it must meet ethical criteria

A controversial study on hepatitis B vaccination in Guinea-Bissau that was funded in part by the U.S. CDC has been halted.

Yap Boum, PhD, MPH, a senior official at the Africa CDC, said the study was “cancelled” during a press briefing on Thursday morning.

He noted, however, that conversations between officials in Guinea-Bissau and the U.S. are ongoing, since research on hepatitis B in that country is needed. However, if the study is to move forward, he said, it will need to meet ethical criteria. The Guardian first reported the news.

An HHS official told MedPage Today that the study has not been cancelled, and that it hasn’t been “halted” because it hasn’t started yet. The official added that trial protocols are still being refined. (Read More)