Demanding accountability for billions in American taxpayer money, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has halted U.S. funding to a global vaccine alliance.
Kennedy accused Gavi of ignoring science and silencing concerns about vaccine safety, marking a decisive shift toward transparency in global health funding under the Trump administration.
In a video statement presented at a Gavi summit in Brussels, Kennedy delivered the news that would send shockwaves through the global health establishment.
The U.S. was previously Gavi’s largest donor with contributions totaling about $5 billion.
The nation has been funding the organization since 2001, but Kennedy made it clear that it would no longer continue without serious reforms.
“When the science was inconvenient, Gavi ignored the science,” Kennedy stated firmly. “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.”
The decision comes as Gavi aims to raise $9 billion for operations over the next five years.
The organization claims to have funded vaccinations for over a billion children in poor nations and says its programs have saved 18 million lives.
However, Kennedy has raised serious concerns about vaccine safety that the alliance has downplayed, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Kennedy, who founded Children’s Health Defense and has long raised concerns about vaccine safety.
He criticized Gavi for “losing public trust,” particularly regarding COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.
His concerns extend to other vaccines as well, including questioning the safety of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine despite World Health Organization (WHO) claims of its safety.
Gavi is a partnership involving several global organizations, including the WHO, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, and the World Bank.
The U.S. withdrawal of support aligns with the Trump administration’s broader strategy.
It seeks to reduce American involvement in international bodies that do not prioritize America’s interests or respect for transparency and scientific integrity.
In a defensive statement, the organization responded:
“Gavi 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.”
Kennedy’s decision coincided with the first meeting of his reconstituted U.S. vaccine advisory panel.
It now includes several vaccine safety advocates who had previously been excluded from such positions.
This marks a significant departure from past administrations that often filled such panels with pharmaceutical industry representatives.
The decision has faced criticism from those invested in the global health establishment.
Longtime vaccine proponent Dr. Paul Offit called the move “incredibly dangerous,” while Doctors Without Borders warned of “preventable child deaths.”
