Faith and health groups urge HHS to restore global vaccine funding

By AI, Created 10:17 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The National Black Church Initiative and the American Clinical Health Disparities Commission are pressing the Trump administration and HHS to reverse a block on $600 million in global vaccine funding. They say the move could weaken immunization access in low-income regions already facing preventable child deaths and disease.

Why it matters: - The blocked $600 million in global vaccine funding could affect immunization access in low-income countries. - The National Black Church Initiative says the policy could hit people in developing regions already facing health and humanitarian strain. - Gavi has been linked with lower child mortality and large-scale vaccine delivery across dozens of low-income countries. - Gavi reports it has helped immunize about 1.2 billion children and prevent more than 20 million deaths over the last two decades.

What happened: - The National Black Church Initiative and the American Clinical Health Disparities Commission urged the Trump administration and Secretary Kennedy to reconsider blocking the funding. - The groups said May 7, 2026 that the funding freeze was not appropriate at this time. - Rev. Anthony Evans, president of the National Black Church Initiative, said the move could negatively affect people in developing countries, including Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and parts of Africa.

The details: - The National Black Church Initiative describes itself as a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino faith communities representing 27.7 million members. - Vaccine experts affiliated with the ACHDC and other organizations said thimerosal concerns have been addressed in multiple epidemiological studies. - Those experts said those studies did not find evidence supporting claims of neurotoxicity at the levels used in vaccines. - The experts said thimerosal still helps keep multi-dose vaccine vials safe and usable in places where cold-chain reliability can be inconsistent. - The experts argued that removing thimerosal without widely available alternatives could reduce vaccine access in some regions.

Between the lines: - The groups are framing the dispute as a public health and equity issue, not just a policy fight over a vaccine ingredient. - The appeal suggests the administration’s decision could ripple beyond U.S. politics and affect immunization programs in countries with weaker health infrastructure. - The thimerosal argument centers on a tradeoff: ingredient concerns versus practical vaccine delivery in resource-limited settings.

What’s next: - The groups are asking HHS to reopen the funding decision and keep global vaccine support flowing. - The outcome will likely hinge on whether the administration accepts the groups’ view that the current policy could undercut vaccine access more than it protects public health. - Further response from HHS or Secretary Kennedy was not included in the release.

The bottom line: - The pushback is a warning that blocking global vaccine money could have outsized effects in places where immunization systems are already fragile.