The Trump-Vance Administration’s decision to stop U.S. support for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has generated alarm among international health professionals and political leaders, thereby obscuring a historic $9 billion pledging summit held in Brussels.
World leaders pledged to immunise 500 million children and avert up to 9 million deaths by 2030 at the Global Summit: Health and Wealth via Immunisation, co-sponsored by the European Commission and the Gates Foundation. With Team Europe promising over €2 billion and the Gates Foundation promising $1.6 billion, donations poured in from India, Nigeria, and philanthropic groups as well as from the European Union.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., however, verified in a taped message that the United States would stop all future funding for Gavi, citing erroneous allegations regarding vaccine safety and charging Gavi and the WHO of stifling opposition. The decision defies over twenty years of bipartisan support and imperils decades of worldwide immunization advancement.
“Cruel and Reckless” Decision
Health professionals were outraged. Dr. Paul Offit of CHOP’s Vaccine Education Center described the choice as “incredibly hazardous,” whereas Doctors Without Borders termed the rationale “cruel and careless.” Former USAID global health lead Atul Gawande cautioned the cut might cause “hundreds of thousands” of preventable child fatalities.
Gavi projects that without American assistance, up to 75 million youngsters might not be vaccinated, therefore causing 1.2 million possible deaths and jeopardizing outbreak readiness in poor areas.
A Blow to U.S. Biosecurity
Traditionally among Gavi’s biggest donors, the United States has provided roughly 13% of its budget. Its contributions have shielded more than 1.1 billion children and prevented almost 19 million deaths worldwide. Public health campaigners contend that cutting this assistance not only jeopardizes world lives but also compromises U.S. biosecurity by weakening defenses against worldwide pandemics.
Expanding malaria vaccination access, building epidemic stocks for diseases like cholera and mpox, and backing vaccine manufacturing in Africa are all part of Gavi’s new strategic plan for 2026–2030. Its Leap program of reforms guarantees more efficient vaccine distribution as well as more national ownership.
Growing International Divide
Traditionally among Gavi’s biggest donors, the United States has provided roughly 13% of its budget. Its contributions have shielded more than 1.1 billion children and prevented almost 19 million deaths worldwide. Public health campaigners contend that cutting this assistance not only jeopardizes world lives but also compromises U.S. biosecurity by weakening defenses against worldwide pandemics.
Expanding malaria vaccination access, building epidemic stocks for diseases like cholera and mpox, and backing vaccine manufacturing in Africa are all part of Gavi’s new strategic plan for 2026–2030. Its Leap program of reforms guarantees more efficient vaccine distribution as well as more national ownership.
