The U.S. has actively dismantled the global disease-detection programs we all—including Americans—rely on to stay safe
Today this administration’s short-sighted global health agenda got even even worse
It’s ending its support for vaccine programs around the world
Why?? 🧵
Today this administration’s short-sighted global health agenda got even even worse
It’s ending its support for vaccine programs around the world
Why?? 🧵
With unnecessary haste, the Trump administration is pulling funding from GAVI.
GAVI is a massive force in global health.
Since starting in 2000, it has saved millions of lives around the world through vaccination
Gift link to @nytimes story by @snolen
nytimes.com/2025/03/26/hea…
GAVI is a massive force in global health.
Since starting in 2000, it has saved millions of lives around the world through vaccination
Gift link to @nytimes story by @snolen
nytimes.com/2025/03/26/hea…
It is focused on getting vaccines to people around the world who need them
For routine immunization…
And also for really important but less common diseases like Ebola
To date, they’ve vaccinated over a billion kids!!!
They are irreplaceable. Losing GAVI would be disastrous.
For routine immunization…
And also for really important but less common diseases like Ebola
To date, they’ve vaccinated over a billion kids!!!
They are irreplaceable. Losing GAVI would be disastrous.
Why do we need a GAVI?
And why can’t vaccine manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies just help fill this gap?
For too long, ensuring equitable access to vaccines and treatments has been a massive challenge.
I recently wrote about the hurdles 👇
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
And why can’t vaccine manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies just help fill this gap?
For too long, ensuring equitable access to vaccines and treatments has been a massive challenge.
I recently wrote about the hurdles 👇
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
Put simply, for so long, there wasn’t a ‘desirable’ market for vaccine manufacturers.
GAVI was created to address this market failure
It buys vaccines in bulk so that they are affordable to lower-income countries
And now, GAVI now helps vaccinate HALF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN
GAVI was created to address this market failure
It buys vaccines in bulk so that they are affordable to lower-income countries
And now, GAVI now helps vaccinate HALF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN
So why should you care?
Well, for one thing, loss of U.S. support—especially so quickly—means kids will die.
75 million children won’t receive vaccinations in the next 5 years.
1.2 million could die as a result.
All vaccine-preventable deaths.
Well, for one thing, loss of U.S. support—especially so quickly—means kids will die.
75 million children won’t receive vaccinations in the next 5 years.
1.2 million could die as a result.
All vaccine-preventable deaths.
Also, this is PROMISED American support that was supposed to support GAVI through 2030.
It’s ~$500 million a year
Which is less than what Americans spend on pumpkin-spice items annually.
An absolutely pittance to keep our commitments and stop kids from dying unnecessary deaths
It’s ~$500 million a year
Which is less than what Americans spend on pumpkin-spice items annually.
An absolutely pittance to keep our commitments and stop kids from dying unnecessary deaths
Okay, maybe there are people not moved by unnecessary child deaths
For them, they should still be very concerned for overtly selfish reasons.
Disease outbreaks that percolate abroad will undoubtedly show up here in the U.S.
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
For them, they should still be very concerned for overtly selfish reasons.
Disease outbreaks that percolate abroad will undoubtedly show up here in the U.S.
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
This administration has already destroyed the systems needed to detect those outbreaks, meaning we’re flying blind
And now they’re pulling back the tools that would help prevent those outbreaks from starting in the first place
The result is predictable
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
And now they’re pulling back the tools that would help prevent those outbreaks from starting in the first place
The result is predictable
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
Imagine this:
An Ebola outbreak starts
It goes undetected, because we’ve cut support to laboratories around the world that would’ve helped pick it up sooner
My colleague @JenniferNuzzo compares it to getting rid of smoke detectors during a fire
npr.org/sections/goats…
An Ebola outbreak starts
It goes undetected, because we’ve cut support to laboratories around the world that would’ve helped pick it up sooner
My colleague @JenniferNuzzo compares it to getting rid of smoke detectors during a fire
npr.org/sections/goats…
As it grows, perhaps it eventually gets detected.
But countries don’t want to share news about the outbreak.
It will come with stigmatizing travel bans.
Plus, the U.S. isn’t sending CDC or USAID folks to help anymore, so what’s the point? Just try to smother it…
But countries don’t want to share news about the outbreak.
It will come with stigmatizing travel bans.
Plus, the U.S. isn’t sending CDC or USAID folks to help anymore, so what’s the point? Just try to smother it…
But that doesn’t work.
It grows, even bigger.
But unlike the 2014 outbreak, we have a tool—effective Ebola vaccines!!!
So you need to get those in the country, quickly
Guess who finances the global stockpile of Ebola (and cholera and yellow fever and meningitis) vaccines???
It grows, even bigger.
But unlike the 2014 outbreak, we have a tool—effective Ebola vaccines!!!
So you need to get those in the country, quickly
Guess who finances the global stockpile of Ebola (and cholera and yellow fever and meningitis) vaccines???
Yep, GAVI.
And they can also help countries with the operational costs of getting vaccines into arms.
Without groups like GAVI, we don’t have stockpiles.
We don’t have rapid response to outbreaks.
We have more people around the world die…
who.int/groups/icg/abo…
And they can also help countries with the operational costs of getting vaccines into arms.
Without groups like GAVI, we don’t have stockpiles.
We don’t have rapid response to outbreaks.
We have more people around the world die…
who.int/groups/icg/abo…
And we have much greater global risk—including to Americans.
This isn’t just about preventing kids around the world dying from vaccine-preventable illnesses—although that is SO freakin important!
It’s about keeping us all safe.
All of us.
This isn’t just about preventing kids around the world dying from vaccine-preventable illnesses—although that is SO freakin important!
It’s about keeping us all safe.
All of us.
Cutting GAVI support
Dismantling USAID
Muzzling the CDC
Pulling out of WHO
Undermining vaccines here in our own country
And turning our eyes and ears away from the rest of the world isn’t just cruel
It’s short-sighted
And I promise, yet again,
We will regret this.
Dismantling USAID
Muzzling the CDC
Pulling out of WHO
Undermining vaccines here in our own country
And turning our eyes and ears away from the rest of the world isn’t just cruel
It’s short-sighted
And I promise, yet again,
We will regret this.
Important statement from @MSF_USA today:
“Resuming full funding for Gavi and other critical health and humanitarian efforts isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a smart investment in global stability, and a healthier future for millions of children.”
doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/us-deci…
“Resuming full funding for Gavi and other critical health and humanitarian efforts isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a smart investment in global stability, and a healthier future for millions of children.”
doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/us-deci…
Adding a piece by @DrSethBerkley who led GAVI from 2011-2023.
He reminds us that GAVI "has achieved a return on investment that would be the envy of Wall Street: $54 for every dollar spent"
An incredibly efficient use of U.S. support to save lives.
time.com/7272078/trump-…
He reminds us that GAVI "has achieved a return on investment that would be the envy of Wall Street: $54 for every dollar spent"
An incredibly efficient use of U.S. support to save lives.
time.com/7272078/trump-…
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