Rubio Suggests U.S. Return to Global Vaccine Program in Rebuke of Kennedy

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated on Tuesday that the United States may resume its funding of a global vaccines alliance that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pulled the United States out of last year, an unusual public rebuke of Mr. Kennedy’s involvement in matters of global health.

Testifying on Capitol Hill, Mr. Rubio told senators that President Trump had asked the State Department to allow Mr. Kennedy to “play a leading role” in the decision on whether to fund Gavi, an organization that provides immunizations for low-income nations and maintains the global Ebola vaccine stockpile.

But Mr. Rubio suggested in pointed testimony that he was reclaiming control of the U.S. relationship with Gavi, which has historically been managed by the State Department.

The State Department is “going to re-engage on the issue of Gavi,” Mr. Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said that the department was not going to “yank” the matter from Mr. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, or ignore “his points of view.” But he said that a few weeks ago, he had made the decision to resume management of the relationship.

About Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Rubio added: “I wouldn’t use the word defer, but we have certainly allowed him to play a leading role in determining what we’re going to do next. But right now, we’re sort of at a stage where we are going to re-engage. We need to drive this to an outcome.”

The State Department refused to comment on whether Mr. Rubio’s reference to re-engagement meant a return to previous levels of funding for Gavi, or on what timeline that might occur.

Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said that the State Department and health department “continue engaging directly with Gavi and remain cautiously optimistic that ongoing discussions can produce greater transparency, accountability, and a constructive path forward.”

A year ago, Mr. Kennedy sent a video address to a meeting of world leaders gathered to raise funds for Gavi, and announced that the United States, a major funder, would no longer be supporting the organization.

“When vaccine safety issues have come before Gavi, Gavi has treated them not as a patient health problem, but as a public relations problem,” Mr. Kennedy said in the address. He offered no evidence for the allegation.

Gavi’s operations have been constrained over the past 18 months, since the United States and other international donors cut their aid. The reduced budget — from a planned $11.9 billion to $10 billion — has affected the organization’s ability to maintain stockpiles for critical diseases such as cholera, and other work such as support for an expanded use of malaria vaccines in Africa.

Dr. Nishtar said the work to speed up a Bundibugyo vaccine showed the urgency of Gavi’s work, adding that U.S. support would “also enable us to accelerate the rollout of powerful new tools like the malaria, hexavalent, and meningitis vaccines.”

Ms. Shaheen welcomed Mr. Rubio’s pledge to restore a relationship with Gavi. “Congress directed the State Department—they continue engaging directly with Gavi to pursue transparency and accountability while addressing future challenges.”

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