RFK Jr.: Don’t Fund Vaccine Trials That Withhold Care

RFK Jr.: Don’t Fund Vaccine Trials That Withhold Care

The Issue

Recent reporting has raised serious concerns about a now-paused hepatitis B vaccine study in Guinea-Bissau that would have *vaccinated only half of newborns at birth *despite high prevalence of the disease. The World Health Organization stated it would be unethical to proceed, and the University of Southern Denmark paused the study pending independent review.

The study reportedly received $1.6 million in U.S. funding.

Hepatitis B can lead to lifelong liver disease and death. Global health authorities including the WHO and Africa CDC recommend universal birth-dose vaccination as a priority.

Experts have warned that withholding vaccines in such a setting could place children at preventable risk. Ethical concerns cited include informed consent challenges, oversight capacity, and the power imbalance between foreign research institutions and low-resource communities.

Research ethics are not partisan. They are foundational. U.S.-funded global health research must meet the highest international standards, including transparency, independent review, and strict protections for vulnerable populations.

We call on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and HHS to publicly commit that:

• No U.S.-funded study will withhold recommended vaccines from newborns in high-risk settings.
• All federally funded global research will undergo independent ethical review.
• All grantmaking processes will be transparent and publicly documented.
• U.S. public health funding will prioritize evidence-based vaccination programs.

Congress should exercise oversight to ensure U.S. health research does not repeat past ethical failures.

Children anywhere in the world deserve protection from preventable disease. Public trust depends on ethical science.

Sign this petition to demand strong ethical safeguards for all U.S.-funded vaccine research.

94

The Issue

Recent reporting has raised serious concerns about a now-paused hepatitis B vaccine study in Guinea-Bissau that would have *vaccinated only half of newborns at birth *despite high prevalence of the disease. The World Health Organization stated it would be unethical to proceed, and the University of Southern Denmark paused the study pending independent review.

The study reportedly received $1.6 million in U.S. funding.

Hepatitis B can lead to lifelong liver disease and death. Global health authorities including the WHO and Africa CDC recommend universal birth-dose vaccination as a priority.

Experts have warned that withholding vaccines in such a setting could place children at preventable risk. Ethical concerns cited include informed consent challenges, oversight capacity, and the power imbalance between foreign research institutions and low-resource communities.

Research ethics are not partisan. They are foundational. U.S.-funded global health research must meet the highest international standards, including transparency, independent review, and strict protections for vulnerable populations.

We call on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and HHS to publicly commit that:

• No U.S.-funded study will withhold recommended vaccines from newborns in high-risk settings.
• All federally funded global research will undergo independent ethical review.
• All grantmaking processes will be transparent and publicly documented.
• U.S. public health funding will prioritize evidence-based vaccination programs.

Congress should exercise oversight to ensure U.S. health research does not repeat past ethical failures.

Children anywhere in the world deserve protection from preventable disease. Public trust depends on ethical science.

Sign this petition to demand strong ethical safeguards for all U.S.-funded vaccine research.

79 peoplesigned today

94

The Decision Makers

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Petition created on 11 March 2026