US releases $600 million for Gavi vaccines after mercury-free pledge, cuts WHO from alliance funding

Funding hold and release

The Trump administration announced on July 29 that it would immediately release $600 million in congressionally appropriated funds for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance. The money had been frozen since June 2025, when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. halted payments, citing unsubstantiated safety concerns about the mercury-based preservative thimerosal used in some multi-dose vaccine vials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said in June 2026 that it was time to re-engage with Gavi, citing congressional concerns and US global health goals. The State Department said the decision to disburse the funds followed Gavi's commitment "to work towards transitioning mercury-containing vaccines and expanding access to newer, mercury-free alternatives." The $600 million, covering fiscal years 2025 and 2026, was set to expire on September 30, 2026, if not released.

The Administration believes reducing reliance on mercury-containing vaccines, where suitable alternatives are available, is a pro-vaccine, pro-innovation policy.

The thimerosal dispute

Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic and founder of an anti-vaccine group, had argued that Gavi ignored safety risks from thimerosal. Anti-vaccine activists have for decades claimed the preservative is linked to autism, despite numerous studies finding no such connection. The United States has largely phased out thimerosal-containing shots, but replacing them is more difficult in regions without reliable refrigeration. Gavi CEO Sania Nishtar had already signaled in May 2026 that the alliance was moving away from vaccines with the mercury-based preservative. The State Department framed the release as a response to Gavi's willingness to accelerate that transition, though critics described it as a diplomatic face-saving measure after an evidence-free hold that disrupted funding for one of the world's largest immunization programs.

WHO funding barred

In the same joint statement, the administration declared that "the United States also reaffirms that it will not provide US Government funding to the World Health Organization through Gavi." The move extends President Trump's long-running hostility toward the WHO. In 2020, Trump temporarily halted funding over the agency's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing it of promoting Chinese disinformation; President Biden restored support in 2021. On his first day back in office in January 2025, Trump ordered a US withdrawal from the WHO and suspended contributions. The WHO's budget, about $3.4 billion, is roughly one-third that of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and supports programs against polio, tuberculosis, HIV, malaria and other diseases, as well as emergency response in conflict zones.

Political pressure and global impact

Senator Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the Appropriations Committee, had pressed for the release and announced the agreement on Tuesday. Collins and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen have praised Gavi for saving lives abroad and preventing outbreaks from reaching the United States by controlling them at the source. Gavi estimates it has vaccinated over 1.2 billion children in the world's poorest countries, preventing more than 20.6 million deaths. The alliance provides vaccines against 20 diseases, including measles, malaria and polio, to more than 50 low-income nations. Nishtar had warned last year that more than 1 million babies could die if US support were withdrawn. The US previously contributed about 13 to 15 percent of Gavi's annual budget, making it one of the largest donors alongside Germany and other high-income countries. The organization has embarked on a series of cost-cutting measures to address the shortfall, which has been exacerbated by cuts from other high-income nations.