LONDON | U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the country is pulling its support from the vaccines alliance Gavi, saying the organization has “ignored the science” and “lost the public trust.”
A video of Kennedy’s speech was shown to participants at a Gavi meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, where the vaccines group was hoping to raise at least $9 billion for the next five years.
Gavi is a public-private partnership including WHO, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation and the World Bank. It has paid for more than 1 billion children to be vaccinated through routine immunization programs, saving an estimated 18 million lives. The U.S. has long been one of its biggest supporters; before Trump’s re-election, the country had pledged $1 billion through 2030.
Kennedy called on Gavi “to re-earn the public trust and 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.” Kennedy said until that happens, the U.S. won’t contribute further to Gavi.
Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, said he and President Trump were concerned about how Gavi and the World Health Organization partnered together during the COVID-19 pandemic to work with social media companies “to silence dissenting views, to stifle free speech and legitimate questions” during a time when many people had questions about vaccine safety.
Kennedy said Gavi continues to make “questionable recommendations,” like advising pregnant women to get immunized against COVID-19 and funding the roll-out of a vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis in poorer countries.
WHO and other health authorities have recommended pregnant women get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying they are at higher risk of severe disease.
Kennedy said he has seen research that concluded that young girls vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis were more likely to die from all other causes than children who weren’t immunized.
Gavi said in a statement Thursday that its “utmost concern is the health and safety of children.” The organization said any decision it makes on vaccines to buy is done in accordance with recommendations issued by WHO’s expert vaccine group.
“This ensures Gavi investments are grounded in the best available science and public health priorities,” it said. Gavi said scientists had reviewed all available data, including any studies that raised concerns, and that the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine has “played a key role in helping halve childhood mortality.”
The British government said Wednesday it would give 1.25 billion pounds ($1.7 billion) between 2026 and 2030 to Gavi. It said the money would help Gavi protect up to 500 million children in some of the world’s poorest countries from diseases including meningitis, cholera and measles.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
I worked with researchers for years. The recommendations these organizations, like GAVI, make DO consider the latest and the best research before making a policy statement. The kind of research they use contains the proper sample size, replicated studies, and peer-reviewed data. I don’t trust Kennedy or Trump because of their demonstrated willingness to eschew facts that they don’t like to accept, and conspiracy theories that fit their worldview. I find it rich that Kennedy cites that GAVI ignores research while he continues to cite studies that don’t adhere to the scientific method or are specifically rejected by researchers! I’m tired of Kennedy and Trump’s lies about cutting costs. They are cutting funding for health programs to specifically fund tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations! That’s the real truth.
When this parade of freaks and idiots finally leaves town, it will take decades to earn the trust of our allies back.
The trust of the scientific community, alas, is probably gone for good.