EU to the Rescue of Vaccination Programs

USA is pulling funding from Gavi, global charity co-founded by Bill Gates, that has paid for more than a billion kids to get vaccinated

Public service channel PBS reported on Thursday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced USA is pulling its support from the vaccines alliance Gavi, saying the organization has ‘ignored the science’ and ‘lost the public trust.’ It is another cruel injustice against poor people inflicted by the current US administration, on an organization that has paid for more than 1 billion children to be vaccinated through routine immunization programs.

This emerged on Wednesday at the ‘Global Summit: Health and Prosperity through Immunisation’ in Brussels. Here, world leaders pledged support for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, leading to a total of more than 7.7 billion euro secured against a targeted 10.2 billion euro budget for its next five-year strategic period from 2026 to 2030. Additional donor commitments are expected in the coming months. One of the missing factors here is US government funding, because in a brief, sweeping video statement, the US Health Secretary cancelled participation in the program, citing some unfounded conspiration-theory arguments against the program.

The Summit, co-hosted by the European Union, Gates Foundation, and Gavi, in partnership with Global Citizen, was attended by representatives of 55 donor and implementing countries – including 10 heads of state and government and 24 ministers – as well as leaders from multilateral institutions, civil society, private sector and vaccine industry. Co-hosts the European Union and the Gates Foundation reaffirmed their leadership in global health by making strong commitments to Gavi. The Gates Foundation announced a commitment of 1.4 billion euro, underscoring its enduring partnership in Gavi's efforts to ensure child survival. The European Commission pledged 360 million euro, as part of a total pledge of more than 2 billion euro from Team Europe – which includes the EU and its Member States – collectively the largest donor to Gavi. At the Summit, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced an extension of its 1 billion euro liquidity facility that can be accessed by any donor to facilitate their pledge, while Team Europe has already pledged nearly 800 million euro for Gavi's African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) to support local vaccine manufacturing.

According to PBS,

Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, mentioned Gavi’s partnership with the World Health Organization during COVID-19, accusing them of silencing “dissenting views” and “legitimate questions” about vaccine safety. His speech also cast doubt on the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine — which WHO and other health agencies have long deemed to be safe and effective.

Gavi said in a statement Thursday that its “utmost concern is the health and safety of children,” adding that any decision it makes on vaccines to buy is done in accordance with recommendations issued by WHO’s expert vaccine group.

RFK Jr.’s mad theories

In the video, RFK Jr. says that ‘we're living now in a time of upheaval a time of popular revolt against established institutions that have lost the public trust and that includes medicine’. This imaginary popular revolt is, if at all, taking place only in the US MAGA and has all the hallmarks of a fringe conspiracy theory, anti-vaxxers, getting elevated to government ideology.

Ideological and economical reasons

It has long been known that the current US administration wants to cut down international obligations and contributions. Domestic health care is singled out as a big savings target for the next budget period, and international aid is going to fall along with it. International leaders and experts are watching in horror as rough riders such as RFK Jr. use unfounded and misleading arguments for the pull-out from essential humanitarian programs.

With the new budget proposal under way in Congress, outside observers cannot but resolve that USA is looking into dire economical problems ahead and desperately needs to cut down on even extremely essential services. US cannot afford the current level of spending on welfare services and military strength and feel an urgent need for introducing extreme measures.

Even if US politicians are supposedly acting on behalf of the voters that elected them, it is striking how they bluntly display ignorance and ideology with such cruel results.

On the international scene, other nations can step in, provided that the US actions are not too abrupt and arbitrary, but the long term consequences are leading to American isolation.

About Gavi

Gavi is a public-private partnership including WHO, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation and the World Bank, and it is estimated that the vaccination programs have saved 18 million lives. The United States has long been one of its biggest supporters; before President Donald Trump’s re-election, the country had pledged 1 billion dollars through 2030.

Gavi's CEO since March 2024, Dr Sania Nishtar. Photo: Gavi

JFK Jr. calls on Gavi ‘to justify the $8 billion America has provided in funding since 2001,’ saying officials must ‘consider the best science available, even when that science contradicts established paradigms.’ He says until that happens, the U.S. won’t contribute further to Gavi. The recorded speech to Gavi came on the same day that his reconstituted U.S. vaccine advisory panel met for the first time. He fired the previous 17-member panel earlier this month and has now replaced it with a seven-member group that includes several vaccine skeptics.

Results of the Summit

According to the press release, the Summit attracted a larger number of new donors that ever before:

In addition to the co-hosts, the Summit saw a record number of new donors step forward to support Gavi's next strategic cycle (2026-2030). With some of Gavi's existing donors unable to announce commitments due to a need to align pledging with their own domestic budgetary cycles, this broad base of support will provide critical momentum for Gavi as it continues to mobilise resources in pursuit of its EUR 10.2 billion fundraising target.

With Gavi's implementing countries expected to invest a record EUR 3.4 billion towards their immunisation programmes over the coming five years, the Summit had strong representation from leaders pledging support and political commitment towards Gavi's model of sustainable co-financing and secure supply through a diversified manufacturing base, including increased manufacturing capacity in Africa. The Summit also saw enthusiastic engagement in discussions on reform of the global health architecture. Gavi, which is implementing its own transformative reform programme called the Gavi Leap, has offered to play a lead role in shaping a dialogue on how to evolve the current landscape so that it better serves countries, and to take proactive steps in forging closer collaboration with its partner agencies.

EU officials expressed their support, along a number of other international leaders.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission said: ‘Investing in health is investing in our shared future. Our work with Gavi saves lives. For over 20 years, we have stood side by side, with the European Union contributing over 3.2 billion euro to vaccinate more than 1 billion children against deadly diseases. But millions still need this vital protection. Today, Team Europe is pledging more than EUR 2 billion. The EU remains committed to this mission so that children across the world are safer, healthier and stronger. This is global solidarity in action.’