US Resumes Gavi Vaccine Alliance Ties Amid Ebola Outbreak
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the U.S. will re-engage with Gavi after the administration previously cut funding. The move follows an Ebola outbreak in Africa and aims to resolve funding disputes while addressing health safety concerns previously raised by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The United States will re-engage with the global vaccine alliance Gavi to combat Ebola outbreaks in Africa. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the shift on Tuesday afternoon, June 2, following a period where the administration withheld funding. The decision aims to resolve a dispute over vaccine safety standards while addressing the ongoing Bundibugyo virus strain.
### Reversing the Funding Freeze The State Department decided to re-enter the alliance a few weeks ago to drive a resolution on global health goals. The decision follows a June 2024 move by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to halt $300 million in annual funding. Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the department seeks an outcome acceptable to both Congress and the administration.
