U.S. Senator Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the United States will resume engagement with the global vaccine alliance Gavi amid an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Gavi has committed $50 million to the Bundibugyo response — $10 million for immediate needs and $40 million to accelerate vaccine access. The move follows last year’s U.S. funding cut and a dispute over thimerosal; U.S. agencies say they are negotiating conditions and seek greater transparency and accountability.
U.S. to Resume Engagement With Gavi Vaccine Alliance Amid Ebola Outbreak, Rubio Says
The Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
WASHINGTON/LONDON — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday that the United States has decided to resume engagement with the global vaccine alliance Gavi in response to an Ebola outbreak affecting several African countries.
What Officials Say
Rubio said the State Department made the decision a few weeks ago to re-engage after the previous U.S. administration cut funding to Gavi. "We need to drive this to an outcome," Rubio told senators, adding that discussions respect the views of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and seek an outcome acceptable to Congress and U.S. global health goals.
Gavi's Response and the Outbreak
Gavi — which helps low-income countries purchase vaccines and supports outbreak response — has committed $50 million to the Bundibugyo Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda: $10 million for the immediate response and $40 million to accelerate access to vaccines that remain at an early stage of development.
Funding Background
The Geneva-based alliance's budget was hit last June when U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the U.S. would stop providing roughly $300 million a year in contributions, citing safety concerns. The U.S. also withheld about $600 million in funding that Congress had previously approved for two years. Senators on both sides have urged that the appropriated funds be released to support vaccination and outbreak-response efforts.
Thimerosal And Safety Concerns
One sticking point has been the preservative thimerosal, which some groups — including organizations associated with Kennedy — have long claimed is linked to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Numerous peer-reviewed studies and major health organizations have found no evidence that thimerosal in vaccines causes such conditions. Gavi has said decisions about vaccine formulations are made by its board and has reiterated that thimerosal is a safe ingredient where used.
Gavi CEO Sania Nishtar said she was "very encouraged" by Rubio's comments and noted that Gavi was already transitioning toward newer vaccines that provide broader protection and do not include thimerosal.
An HHS spokesperson said both HHS and the State Department are engaging directly with Gavi. "[We] remain cautiously optimistic that ongoing discussions can produce greater transparency, accountability, and a constructive path forward," the spokesperson said.
This developing diplomatic shift comes as health officials race to contain the Bundibugyo outbreak and accelerate access to promising vaccines under development.
Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Doina Chiacu, Ahmed Aboulenein and Simon Lewis in Washington, and Jennifer Rigby in London; editing by Tomasz Janowski.
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