Kennedy withholds $600M in vaccine aid to the world’s poorest countries

RFK Jr. has paused $600 million in U.S. vaccine funding for Gavi to press the charity on data transparency and vaccine safety claims. Gavi says the money is crucial for vaccines across more than 50 low‑income countries and warns that withholding funds could cost lives, while Kennedy argues some vaccines used by Gavi are obsolete or contain thimerosal. A Boston federal judge recently ruled that many of Kennedy’s vaccine‑policy changes were invalid for procedural reasons, complicating the dispute and leaving the funding in limbo as lawmakers and officials push for a resolution.