Marco Rubio recently commented on RFK Jr and what steps they are set to take to tackle the Ebola outbreak. He also added that the United States will re-engage with the Gavi vaccine alliance. The Secretary of State’s remarks come after the Secretary of Health and Human Services previously addressed the growing Ebola situation.
Marco Rubio talks about RFK Jr. and Ebola outbreak
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was recently asked about the next steps that Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr would take to combat the Ebola outbreak.
Rubio spoke to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and stated that his department will re-engage with Kennedy Jr’s department. This is to ensure that the HHS releases funds to tackle the growing Ebola situation. He added that President Donald Trump wanted Kennedy Jr to lead the front on the situation. Rubio said, “The president had asked that we allow Secretary Kennedy to play a leading role in the Gavi decision.”
He stated that the State Department is going to consider HHS’s views on the Gavi vaccine alliance and re-engage. Rubio conveyed, “I’m not here to tell you we’re going to yank this thing and we’re not going to listen to his [RFK Jr.’s] points of view, but the State Department, a few weeks ago, made the decision that we were going to re-engage on this issue of Gavi. We’d like to get this issue resolved in an outcome that’s acceptable.”
This comes after Kennedy Jr. announced in 2025 that the US would no longer provide funding to Gavi. At that time, he said, “I call on Gavi today to re-earn the public trust, and to justify the $8 billion that America has provided in funding since 2001.”
Speaking on the Ebola outbreak that has hit the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kennedy Jr told ABC News last month, “We have this under control, and we’re not worried about it.”
Originally reported by Ishita Verma on Mandatory
