US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has officially halted U.S. funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, delivering a blow to global immunisation efforts across low-income nations. This comes amid RFK Jr.’s long-standing critiques and, despite considerable global evidence to the contrary, his growing concerns about vaccine safety resulting in public distrust.
What Is Gavi and Why It Matters
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is a public–private partnership launched in 2000 to improve vaccine access in the world’s poorest countries. Partnering with WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, and philanthropies such as the Gates Foundation, Gavi has:
- Vaccinated over 1.1 billion children
- Prevented nearly 18.8 million deaths
- Been pivotal in immunising against diseases like measles, polio, HPV, and Ebola
Its model pools global demand to negotiate affordable vaccine prices, supports healthcare systems, and manages emergency stockpiles. U.S. funding once accounted for roughly 13 %, third only behind the U.K. and the Gates Foundation.
RFK Jr.’s Rationale and Gavi’s Response
RFK Jr., known for challenging vaccine safety, claimed Gavi “ignored the key issue of vaccine safety,” especially concerning whole-cell DTP vaccines, and alleged they were treated as PR challenges, not medical issues. He conditioned any future U.S. support on Gavi “re‑earning the public trust,” citing a commitment of around $8 billion since 2001.
Gavi has firmly rejected these accusations, highlighting that all major vaccines—including DTP—are approved through rigorous, WHO-endorsed independent reviews. The alliance says U.S. funding helped halve childhood mortality in supported countries, and that vaccine safety remains its top priority.
Immediate Fallout: Funding Crisis
- U.S. contribution through 2030, estimated at $1 billion+, is now withdrawn.
- At its Brussels summit, Gavi raised over $9 billion, but still fell nearly $3 billion short of its $11.9 billion target for 2026–2030.
- Other nations (U.K., EU, Gates Foundation, Norway, Germany) increased pledges, but Gavi warned the funding gap poses real risks.
The Likely Knock-On Effects
- Millions of missed vaccinations: Without U.S. support, up to 75 million children could miss routine immunisations—and as many as 1.2 million excess deaths over five years may result.
- Resurgence of preventable diseases: Gaps in funding raise the likelihood of measles, polio, diphtheria, and pertussis outbreaks in countries with fragile health systems.
- Widening health inequity: Low-income nations that rely on Gavi to stabilise vaccine prices and system capacity will be hardest hit.
- Weakened epidemic preparedness: Gavi also coordinates emergency responses to Ebola, cholera, yellow fever, etc.; funding cuts could degrade global readiness.
- Global trust and stability implications: Experts warn the decision could inflict “devastating consequences,” damaging U.S. credibility and global health diplomacy.
Final Take
RFK Jr.’s decision marks a sharp departure from traditional U.S. global-health leadership. While framed as a call for transparency and “best science”, global experts argue it could stall vaccination progress and result in avoidable child deaths.
Amid a funding crisis, Gavi and its donors now face a critical challenge: filling the void left by the U.S. if they hope to sustain gains in global vaccine equity recognising that, through rapid population movement, the transit of illness can so easily and so rapidly arrive within our shores and cause major disturbances to unprotected societies both within the developed and the lesser developed regions of our world.