US says it will not fund WHO through Gavi

The Trump administration said Wednesday that it would not provide US government funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, while announcing the release of $600 million in congressionally appropriated funding for the global vaccine group.

"The United States also reaffirms that it will not provide U.S. Government funding to the World Health Organization through Gavi," the State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a joint statement.

The statement said US President Donald Trump last year directed HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to negotiate reforms with Gavi as a condition for renewed US support, adding the talks produced commitments the administration described as advancing "vaccine safety" and aligning the alliance with "Gold Standard Science."

Based on those commitments, the State Department said it would immediately release the full $600 million in congressionally appropriated funds for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

According to the statement, Gavi agreed to work toward replacing mercury-containing vaccines — including meningococcal A, pentavalent DTP-Hib-HepB, pneumococcal, and hepatitis B vaccines — with mercury-free alternatives in partnership with its board and partner countries.