RFK Jr. Accuses Gavi, Global Vaccine Agency, of Ignoring Science - The New York Times

Kennedy Withdraws U.S. Funding Pledge to International Vaccine Agency

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“This establishes an official U.S. position against childhood vaccination and its support,” he said. “In the face of demonstration that vaccines are the single most lifesaving technology for children, over half a century, he is asserting a position that the U.S. will not support vaccination. This is utterly disastrous for children around the world and for public health.”

Dr. Gawande, who regularly reviewed Gavi’s safety practices when he held a seat on the organization’s board, added that the decision to end the U.S. funding “indicates the level of reach of R.F.K. Jr.” U.S. membership in Gavi is handled by the State Department, not the health department.

Mr. Kennedy is a longtime vaccine skeptic who has upended policies on vaccination in the United States since taking over the top health job for the Trump administration. His comments to the meeting in Brussels came on the same day that a key vaccine advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was to meet in the United States. Mr. Kennedy fired all 17 of the previous members of the panel and replaced them with members he selected, several of whom have voiced vaccine skepticism mirroring his own.

Nevertheless, his address to Gavi came as a surprise; the organizers of the summit learned of it just two days in advance and scrambled to figure out where to put it on their program, which was otherwise full of technical panels on how to increase vaccination rates and a pep-rally-style pledging event at which countries would announce their commitment to support Gavi’s mission.

The United States was the largest donor to Gavi, whose work is estimated to have saved the lives of 17 million children around the world over the past two decades.

“A major concern that I share with the president is how the World Health Organization and Gavi partnered together during the Covid-19 pandemic to recommend best practices for social media companies to silence dissenting views, to stifle free speech and legitimate questions during that period,” Mr. Kennedy said. “In addition, Gavi has continued to make questionable recommendations, encouraging pregnant women to receive Covid-19 vaccines.”

The W.H.O. recommends that pregnant women be vaccinated against Covid, on the basis of extensive evidence that it reduces rates of severe disease and preterm birth.

Mr. Kennedy also said “there is much that I admire about Gavi,” citing the organization’s “commitment to making medicine affordable to all the world’s people.”

The summit is held by Gavi every four years to replenish its finances. Gavi had hoped to raise $9 billion for the 2026-30 period, funds the organization said would allow it to purchase 500 million childhood vaccinations and to save at least eight million lives by 2030. In addition to essential vaccines such as those against measles and polio, Gavi has in recent years helped countries introduce new vaccines into their immunization programs, including one to protect small children against malaria.

A parade of health and political leaders mounted the stage in Brussels to announce their support for the organization and, in some cases, to implicitly rebuke Mr. Kennedy’s remarks, which were circulated before the video was played.

RFK Jr. Accuses Gavi, Global Vaccine Agency, of Ignoring Science - The New York Times