The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned a US-funded vaccine trial as "unethical" on Friday, citing concerns over the withholding of a potentially life-saving hepatitis B vaccine from newborns in Guinea-Bissau, Africa. The trial, which has drawn widespread criticism since its funding was announced in December, is inconsistent with established ethical and scientific principles, according to the WHO.
The WHO's formal statement, released on Friday, detailed several reasons why the trial was deemed harmful and of low quality. The organization's conclusion was based on publicly available information about the trial.
The controversial trial comes as the US Department of Health and Human Services faces other challenges. Jim O'Neill, the US deputy health secretary, who oversees a department with a budget exceeding a trillion dollars, recently discussed plans to increase human healthspan through longevity-focused research. However, it was reported that O'Neill would be leaving his current roles within the Department of Health and Human Services.
In other international news, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a reassuring message to America's allies at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. According to the Associated Press, Rubio struck a less aggressive but firm tone regarding the Trump administration's intent to reshape the trans-Atlantic alliance. He also reassured European allies of the US's commitment to the relationship.
Simultaneously, Secretary Rubio pulled out of a high-level meeting on Ukraine. NPR's Scott Simon spoke to Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center on the United States and Europe, about the Trump administration's strategy to end Russia's war with Ukraine.
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