U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Appropriations hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 20, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
June 25 (Reuters) - Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said on Wednesday that the U.S. government will no longer contribute to Gavi, accusing the group that helps buy vaccines for the world's poorest children of ignoring safety, without providing evidence.
In a video statement seen by Reuters and shown at a Gavi fundraising event in Brussels, Kennedy - a long-time vaccine skeptic - also accused the organization of making questionable recommendations around COVID-19 vaccines, and raised concerns about the DTPw (diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis) vaccine.
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Gavi said in a statement that safety was key, and it acts in line with World Health Organization recommendations. It has full confidence in the DTPw vaccine, which has contributed to halving child mortality in the countries it supports since 2000, the statement continued.
"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.
The details of the video were first reported by Politico.
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.
Kennedy said in the video that he admired much of Gavi's work, particularly its efforts to make medicines affordable worldwide.
"Unfortunately, in its zeal to promote universal vaccination, it has neglected the key issue of vaccine safety," he added.
"Gavi’s utmost concern is the health and safety of children," the group's statement responded.
The Trump administration has previously indicated that it planned to cut its funding for Gavi, representing around $300 million annually, as part of a wider pullback from international aid.
Other donors, including Germany, Norway, and the Gates Foundation, have already pledged money in recent days for Gavi's future work.
Reporting by Mariam Sunny and Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Jennifer Rigby in London; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Arun Koyyur and Mark Porter
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Jen is the Global Health Correspondent at Reuters, covering everything from pandemics to the rise of obesity worldwide. Since joining the news agency in 2022, her award-winning work includes coverage of gender-affirming care for adolescents in the UK and a global investigation with colleagues into how contaminated cough syrup killed hundreds of children in Africa and Asia. She previously worked at the Telegraph newspaper and Channel 4 News in the UK, and spent time as a freelancer in Myanmar and the Czech Republic.
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