U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the United States will withdraw support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, accusing the group of ignoring scientific evidence and losing public trust.
Gavi, a public-private partnership founded in 2000 with major funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, includes the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the World Bank. It has funded vaccinations for over 1 billion children through its global programs.
A video of Kennedy’s remarks was played Wednesday at a Gavi fundraising meeting in Brussels, where the group was seeking at least $9 billion for its next five-year cycle. The U.S. had previously pledged $1 billion in support through 2030 under the prior administration.
Kennedy called on Gavi to “re-earn the public trust and to justify the $8 billion America has provided in funding since 2001,” urging the organization to “consider the best science available, even when that science contradicts established paradigms.” He said the U.S. will not provide additional funding until Gavi makes significant changes.
Kennedy criticized Gavi’s partnership with the WHO during the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing both organizations of working with social media platforms “to silence dissenting views, to stifle free speech and legitimate questions” about vaccine safety. He also raised concerns about Gavi’s ongoing “questionable recommendations,” including its support for COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and its funding of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine programs in low-income countries.
