PACIFIC Friends of Global Health has welcomed the Australian Government's renewed five year commitment of $386 million to international vaccination provider Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, saying it demonstrates Australia's steadfast leadership in global health.
It represents the single largest Australian investment in Gavi and ensures continued vital support for vaccination programs in lower-income countries, particularly the Asia-Pacific region.
"Australia's sustained $386 million commitment to Gavi represents an extraordinary return on investment for Australian taxpayers," said Professor Brendan Crabb, Chair of Pacific Friends of Global Health and CEO of the Burnet Institute.
"By investing in vaccines and immunisation systems, Australia contributes strongly to keeping our region healthier, more prosperous and more stable."
The investment is more critical than ever, with the US - under the leadership of vaccine-sceptic health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr - withdrawing its support for the program last week, leaving a US$1.2 billion shortfall.
Kennedy claimed that Gavi had "ignored the science" in immunising children around the world and accused it of disregarding vaccine safety.
"We have seen clear evidence that immunisation programs dramatically reduce healthcare costs, lost wages and productivity," Professor Crabb said.
"For every US$1 spent on immunisation in Gavi-supported countries, an estimated US$21 is saved," he pointed out.
"Australia's leadership in funding global health initiatives is not only morally compelling but economically strategic."
The US decision came days after Kennedy sacked the entire CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is responsible for reviewing the latest scientific evidence on vaccines, replacing it with a hand-picked panel enriched with vaccine skeptics.
The panel also voted last week against flu shots containing the preservative thiomersal, a long-time target of anti-vaxxers, even though there is no evidence of harm.
While it is found in only a small proportion of the flu vaccines in use in the US - and none in Australia - the greater concern is that the move will fuel distrust in vaccines and increase anti-vaccination sentiment. KB
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