Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said the United States will cease making contributions to Gavi, a global alliance that works to expand vaccine access for children in impoverished areas, accusing them of "ignoring the science" and silencing questions about vaccine safety.
In a video of his speech that was posted by the New York Times last week, he accused Gavi of "neglecting the key issue of vaccine safety." The video remarks were shown during a Gavi fundraising summit in Brussels.
"There's much I admire about Gavi, especially its commitment to making medicine affordable to all the world's people," said Kennedy. "Gavi has done that part of its job very well. Unfortunately, in its zeal to promote universal vaccination, it has neglected the key issue of vaccine safety. When the science was inconvenient, Gavi ignored the science. I call on Gavi today to re-earn the public trust, and to justify the $8 billion that America has provided since 2001."
WHY THIS MATTERS
Doctors Without Borders predicted that many children will die of vaccine-preventable diseases as a result of the U.S. withdrawing support for Gavi. The U.S. had pledged to contribute $1 billion through 2030.
According to the Washington Post, Gavi – a public-private partnership including WHO, UNICEF, The Gates Foundation and the World Bank – has helped vaccinate more than 1.1 billion children in 78 low-income countries since its founding 25 years ago, and has prevented 18.8 million future deaths.
The U.S. was the third-largest contributor to the group, only behind Great Britain and the Gates Foundation, according to the WP. The U.S. contributed 12% of its overall funding last year.
Donors at Gavi's summit pledged more than $9 billion for the organization, but the group still expects a funding shortfall in part because of the withdrawal of American support. The Gates Foundation has pledged a $1.6 billion commitment, the WP said.
According to the Associated Press, Kennedy mentioned Gavi's partnership with the World Health Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic and accused them of silencing dissenting questions and views about vaccine safety during that time. He also expressed doubt about a vaccine that treats diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, or Tdap – a vaccine that WHO and other health agencies has determined is effective and safe.
In a statement to the AP, Gavi said that the health and safety of children is its "utmost concern," and said it makes decisions on which vaccines to purchase in line with recommendations from WHO's group of vaccine experts.
For his part, Kennedy criticized Gavi, WHO and other health authorities for promoting the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women, saying the determination that they're at higher risk for severe disease is "questionable."
"I'll tell you how to take vaccine safety seriously," said Kennedy during his speech. "Consider the best science available, even when the science contradicts established paradigms. Until that happens, the United States won't contribute more to Gavi. Define success, not just in terms of the number of vaccines delivered, but on their rigorously measured overall impacts. Business as usual is over. Unaccountable and opaque policymaking is over."
THE LARGER TREND
Kennedy, who has been criticized for his anti-vaccination views, including of measles shots, was questioned during his confirmation hearings earlier this year about whether his actions during a visit to Samoa helped spur a measles outbreak there that killed 83 people, including children. Kennedy subsequently said he had nothing to do with the Samoan people not getting vaccinated, according to CBS News.
During his Senate confirmation hearings in January, Kennedy said that he was "pro-safety" and believed "vaccines play a central role," but added, "In my advocacy I often disturb the status quo."
This month, Kennedy appointed eight new members to the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices two days after firing all 17 members. The process for selecting the new members did not follow usual procedure. An HHS spokesperson said that Kennedy "has replaced vaccine groupthink with a diversity of viewpoints" and that ethics agreements would be made public for the new members before they begin work for the ACIP, according to CBS News. Kennedy had accused former panel members of having a conflict of interest and being a "rubber stamp for any vaccine."
American College of Physicians President Dr. Jason Goldman criticized the move.
"The usual ACIP committee process requires rigorous vetting, disclosures of interest, and should involve physicians and scientists with extensive background in vaccine research and medicine," said Goldman. "The speed with which these members were selected, and the lack of transparency in the process, does not help to restore public confidence and trust, and contributes to confusion and uncertainty."
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.