RFK Jr. Says The U.S. Will No Longer Fund Global Vaccine Alliance

The prominent vaccine skeptic accused Gavi of neglecting "the key issue of vaccine safety."

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic, on Wednesday announced the U.S. would no longer contribute to Gavi, a global vaccine alliance committed to helping immunize children against deadly diseases, accusing the group of ignoring science and neglecting “the key issue of vaccine safety.”

In a video message addressed to a Gavi pledging summit in Brussels, co-hosted by the European Union and the Gates Foundation, Kennedy urged the organization to take steps to address what he described as its loss of the public’s trust, declaring that the U.S. would no longer support its efforts unless it changes its methods.

“I’ll tell you how to start taking vaccine safety seriously. Consider the best science available, even when the science contradicts established paradigms,” Kennedy said. “Until that happens, the United States won’t contribute more to Gavi.”

The cuts, which would have a significant impact on the organization’s budget, were included in a rescission package passed by the House earlier this month. It has yet to clear the Senate.

Kennedy shared that he admired the alliance’s work to make medicine affordable worldwide, but suggested the same couldn’t be said about its commitment to vaccine safety.