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State Department to restore full $600 million for GAVI, Susan Collins says

State Department to restore full $600 million for GAVI, Susan Collins says

The Trump administration said it will release the full congressionally appropriated funding for Gavi after securing reform commitments, while also ruling out U.S. government support for the WHO through the alliance.

Fact Check
All elements of the claim are confirmed by primary sources. The official State Department media note (July 29, 2026) states the U.S. will immediately release $600 million in FY25-FY26 congressionally appropriated funds to Gavi after Gavi's reform commitments, and explicitly says the U.S. will not fund the WHO through Gavi. Gavi's own statement confirms the $600 million release. The Hill reports Sen. Susan Collins announced the reinstatement. The Anadolu Agency and The Hill both corroborate the WHO-exclusion element. Every distinctive detail (the amount, the reform basis, the WHO exclusion, Collins' announcement) is directly supported.
Summary

The Trump administration said Wednesday it would immediately release the full $600 million in congressionally appropriated U.S. funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 after negotiations it said produced reform commitments from the group. At the same time, the administration said the United States would not provide U.S. government funding to the World Health Organization through Gavi. In a joint statement, the State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services said U.S. President Donald Trump last year directed HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to negotiate reforms with Gavi as a condition for renewed support. The administration said those talks yielded commitments aimed at advancing “vaccine safety” and aligning the alliance with “Gold Standard Science.” The updated terms described by the administration include ceasing the promotion and procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for routine immunization programs, reducing staffing in Geneva, granting the United States a seat on Gavi’s board and allowing U.S. oversight on vaccine safety. Kennedy also said Gavi had agreed to eliminate “mercury-laced vaccines” from its programs, while Gavi chief executive Dr. Sania Nishtar said the alliance was “deeply grateful” and that U.S. support had helped immunize more than 1.2 billion children since 2000.

Terms & Concepts
  • Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: A global organization that helps finance and distribute vaccines, particularly in lower-income countries.
  • routine immunization programs: Regularly scheduled vaccination efforts designed to protect populations, especially children, against common preventable diseases.
  • thimerosal: A mercury-based preservative used in some vaccines that has been the subject of safety claims not supported by proven evidence.