US Cuts Gavi, Vaccine Alliance Funding Over Safety Claims
DLHA Staff Writer.
Robert F. Kennedy Jnr. US Health and Human Services Secretary sitting regally against a pale blue background with Gavi logo in the crosshairs.
FRIDAY. July 27, 2025. - The U.S. will no longer contribute funding to Gavi, a global alliance that helps buy vaccines for the world's poorest children, because it ignores safety, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Wednesday, without providing evidence.
In a video statement shown at a Gavi fundraising event in Brussels, Kennedy - a long-time vaccine skeptic - said he admired much of Gavi's work, particularly its efforts to make medicines affordable worldwide, but also criticised Gavi’s partnership with the World Health Organization, accused it of making questionable recommendations around COVID-19 vaccines, and raised concerns about the safety of DTPw (diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis) vaccine.
"I call on Gavi today to re-earn the public trust, and to justify the $8 billion that America has provided in funding since 2001," Kennedy said in the video, saying Gavi should consider all available science.
"Until that happens, the United States won't contribute more," he said.
Gavi said it "fully concurs with the Secretary for Health and Human Services on the need to consider all available science, and remains committed to continuing an evidence-based and scientific approach to its work and investment decisions, as it always has done."
Gavi leaders, donors and countries it works with are in Brussels for the organization's pledging summit, where the alliance aims to raise $9 billion for its work from 2026-30.
Meanwhile, other donors, including Germany, Norway, and the Gates Foundation, have already pledged money for Gavi's future work.
Gavi, Vaccine Alliance is a partnership between the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Gates Foundation and the World Bank. It is estimated that Gavi has helped to vaccinate over 1 billion children worldwide and saved over 18 million lives during 2000 - 2023.
Source: Reuters
Watch RFK Jnr’s video message to Gavi donors meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, June 2, 2025, below:
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