US unlocks $600M for global vaccines as Gavi shifts to mercury-free options

The State Department and Health and Human Services say they will release $600 million Congress appropriated to Gavi, the international vaccine alliance, after months of withholding amid RFK Jr.’s safety concerns about mercury-containing vaccines. Gavi will accelerate a transition to mercury-free vaccines and implement reforms, including phasing out Covid vaccine promotions from routine immunizations and trimming staff at its Geneva HQ. The funding, ~15% of Gavi’s annual budget, supports vaccines for 20 diseases across more than 50 low-income countries and has helped immunize over 1.2 billion children, potentially preventing about 20.6 million deaths. The move resolves a funding stalemate for 2025–26 and reflects a pro-vaccine, pro-innovation stance despite Kennedy’s objections.