Senator Susan Collins said the US State Department will restore $600 million in funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, after the money had been held up. The decision matters because Gavi helps provide routine vaccines in lower-income countries and supports international preparedness for outbreaks, so the funds could sustain programmes that had faced uncertainty.

Collins said the commitment followed recent outreach from bipartisan senators, who had pressed the department to release money appropriated for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The funding dispute followed the Trump administration’s review of foreign aid and earlier opposition to further Gavi support from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; the State Department is responsible for the contribution.