West Coast states issue joint vaccine recommendations ahead of CDC advisers meeting
California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii form West Coast Health Alliance to push vaccination guidance they say is based on science amid concerns about politicization of federal health agencies.
SEATTLE — California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii formed the West Coast Health Alliance and issued joint recommendations on who should be vaccinated for seasonal respiratory viruses, including the flu and COVID-19, saying the Trump administration has politicized the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and jeopardized public health.
The alliance said its guidance follows major medical organizations and is meant to counter what it describes as the weaponization of federal health agencies to advance antivaccine policies. The recommendations call for all residents older than six months to receive a flu vaccine and for babies to be protected against RSV.
The group also specifies who should receive the COVID-19 vaccine: children aged 6 months to 23 months; all adults over 65; anyone younger than 65 with risk factors or who is in contact with people who have risk factors; pregnant people or those planning pregnancy; and anyone who chooses protection.
The move comes as the federal panel advising on vaccines has undergone upheaval after Kennedy replaced the 17-member panel earlier this year with members including several anti-vaccine voices. Former CDC chief Susan Monarez testified to lawmakers that she was fired after 29 days on the job for resisting Kennedy's demands to sign off on changes to the childhood vaccination schedule without data.
Public health leaders say the changes risk eroding independent, science-based oversight and undermining the CDC's credibility at a moment when trust is crucial, the West Coast Alliance said Wednesday.
In a written statement, U.S. Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon criticized the effort, saying Democrat-run states that pushed school lockdowns, toddler mask mandates and vaccine passports during the COVID era have eroded trust in public health agencies and that policy should be based on Gold Standard Science, not politics.
State actions beyond the West Coast alliance have reflected diverging approaches to vaccines. Florida has moved to curb school vaccine mandates, while Massachusetts has pushed insurers to cover vaccines regardless of federal endorsements. New Mexico has allowed pharmacists to administer COVID-19 shots under state guidelines; Pennsylvania's pharmacy board acted to preserve vaccine access; and Colorado and Washington have directed officials to ensure vaccines remain available to residents.
The alliance's recommendations aim to align vaccination policy with decades of scientific research showing vaccines are safe and effective, even as politics continues to shape public health decisions.