US halts funding to global group that provides vaccines to low-income countries

Published on 26/06/2025 - 9:58 GMT+2

The United States will halt backing for a world organisation that provides vaccines to millions of children successful lower-income countries, which comes aft nan astir elder US wellness charismatic said nan group has “ignored nan science” connected information issues.

US wellness caput Robert F Kennedy Jr, a longtime vaccine sceptic and activist, said nan state will not present connected a $1.58 cardinal (€1.39 billion) promise made by nan erstwhile Biden management until GAVI – which procures and distributes jabs astir nan world – changes its attack to vaccine information investigation and assessment.

“There is overmuch that I respect astir GAVI,” Kennedy said successful video remarks. “Unfortunately, successful its zeal to beforehand cosmopolitan vaccination, it has neglected nan cardinal rumor of vaccine safety”.

He raised concerns astir nan information of a vaccine utilized to protect infants against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, besides known arsenic whooping cough (DTP), which is simply a regular puerility immunisation.

Kennedy cited a 2017 study from Danish researchers that recovered infants who received nan type of DTP vaccine offered by GAVI were 10 times much apt to dice from immoderate origin than unvaccinated babies successful their first six months of life – though different experts person since identified flaws successful those findings.

GAVI deed backmost astatine immoderate of Kennedy’s comments, saying it had “full confidence” successful nan DTP vaccine.

GAVI said it offers nan jab successful lower-income countries because they person a overmuch higher illness load and are little well-equipped to connection regular booster doses than able countries, which commonly usage different type of nan DTP vaccine that offers little long-lasting protection.

The vaccine group had aimed to raise $9 cardinal (€7.9 billion) to money its activity complete nan adjacent 5 years from world donors arsenic portion of its acme successful Brussels this week, but reportedly fell short of that target.

In an question and reply pinch Euronews up of nan arena – and Kennedy’s announcement – GAVI chair and erstwhile European Commission President José Manuel Barroso had struck a much optimistic reside astir nan group’s business pinch nan US.

“We are moving constructively pinch this administration,” Barroso told Euronews.

But he is besides toeing a difficult line, navigating US activity that has embraced vaccine conspiracy theories and slashed backing for world wellness programmes.

Speaking broadly, Barroso said “there are campaigns of disinformation” related to vaccines, peculiarly connected societal media.

“What we person to do is to activity pinch subject and to springiness nan facts,” he said.