St Kitts herpes trial was ‘frightening’ ethical lapse

Last updated: November 11, 2017 at 17:02 pm

A herpes vaccination trial that took place in St Kitts last year did not comply with regulations, according to an investigation at the US university behind it.

The Southern Illinois University (SIU), whose school of medicine is at the centre of this scandal, has said the initial investigation by their institutional review board “has determined that serious noncompliance with regulatory requirements and institutional policies and procedures occurred.”

The comments came from the SIU School of Medicine dean and provost Dr Jerry Kruse in response to a federal inquiry about William Halford’s genital herpes vaccine research.

Halford died in June 2017.

The news of unethical medical testing in St Kitts rocked the nation when it broke at the end of August.

The government responded quickly to the reports, announcing an investigation into the matter.

So far they have no findings have been released.

At the time the opposition leader Denzil Douglas claimed that the current administration would have been aware of the trials.

“That is why we say that the government must know and our people must not be misled by this government which we know will claim it does not know,” he said.

Details of the alleged noncompliance from the SIU are also unavailable, although university spokesman Karen Carlson confirmed to the State Journal-Register that they have submitted the full report the US government.