Stand Up for Science pushes Congress to halt CDC vaccine study in Guinea-Bissau

Stand Up for Science launched a petition on Oct. 13, 2026, urging Congress to stop a CDC-backed vaccine study in Guinea-Bissau that would withhold hepatitis B shots from newborns. The group says the trial raises ethical and public health concerns for infants and broader disease control.

Why it matters: - Stand Up for Science says the proposed study could deny life-saving hepatitis B vaccine doses to thousands of newborns in Guinea-Bissau. - The group argues the trial could harm infant health and undermine broader disease-control efforts if it moves forward.

What happened: - Stand Up for Science launched a public petition on Oct. 13, 2026, calling on Congress to permanently stop the CDC study in Guinea-Bissau. - The petition asks lawmakers to take immediate action to halt the study. - The organization also launched action campaigns urging people to call and email their elected representatives in Congress. - The petition was released after reports that the CDC, under RFK Jr.'s leadership, plans to move forward with funding the previously shelved study.

The details: - Stand Up for Science says the study would intentionally withhold hepatitis B vaccine from thousands of newborns. - Dr. Colette Delawalla, founder and CEO of Stand Up for Science, called the trial a human rights abuse and said Congress must stop it. - The Stand Up for Science Foundation posted an explainer on its website covering the trial's background, the group's concerns, the science of the hepatitis B vaccine, and the possible effects on newborns in Guinea-Bissau. - The petition and related materials are available on Stand Up for Science's website. - Delawalla is available for comment.

Between the lines: - The campaign frames the study as both an ethics issue and a political fight over federal science funding. - The group's language ties the controversy to broader anti-vaccine concerns, signaling that the dispute is about more than one study. - Stand Up for Science is positioning Congress as the key checkpoint between the CDC's plans and any restart of the trial.

What's next: - Stand Up for Science is asking the public to sign the petition and contact members of Congress. - The group will likely keep pressing lawmakers as reports circulate that CDC leadership wants to restore funding for the study. - The outcome now depends on whether Congress intervenes before the study advances.

The bottom line: - Stand Up for Science is trying to turn public pressure into a congressional stop order for a vaccine study it says puts newborns at risk.