US withdraws vaccine support, disappointing GAVI

The chief executive of GAVI expressed the organization’s disappointment following the announcement by Washington that it would discontinue funding for vaccination initiatives. This decision was made in response to concerns voiced by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding vaccine safety, despite a lack of substantial evidence to support these concerns. The cessation of US funding occurs at a time when GAVI and the United Nations have recently reported a global increase in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, meningitis, and yellow fever, attributable to misinformation and reductions in international assistance. While GAVI has obtained pledges exceeding $9 billion (€7.7 billion), this falls short of the $11.9 billion the organization stated was necessary to finance operations over the next five years. Nevertheless, GAVI conveyed satisfaction with the ‘positive outcome,’ particularly given the competing priorities of numerous donor countries and the overall decline in international aid. The United States currently contributes approximately 13 percent of GAVI’s core budget, while European nations and the European Union have jointly pledged more than €2 billion to the organization. An additional $1.6 billion has been provided by the Gates Foundation, established by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.