Introduction to the Health Alliance
The Democratic governors of Washington, Oregon, and California announced Wednesday that they have created an alliance to establish their own recommendations for who should receive vaccines because they believe the Trump administration is putting Americans’ health at risk by politicizing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By MARTHA BELLISLE, Associated Press
The Need for the Alliance
SEATTLE (AP) — The announcement came the same day that Florida said it will phase out all childhood vaccine mandates. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to curb vaccine requirements and other health mandates that evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic in his state.
Concerns Over CDC Policies
The differing responses come as COVID-19 cases rise and as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has restructured and downsized the CDC and attempted to advance anti-vaccine policies that are contradicted by decades of scientific research. Concerns about staffing and budget cuts were heightened after the White House sought to oust the agency’s director and some top CDC leaders resigned in protest.
Statement from the Governors
“The CDC has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science, ideology that will lead to severe health consequences,” the governors said in a joint statement.
“The dismantling of public health and dismissal of experienced and respected health leaders and advisers, along with the lack of using science, data, and evidence to improve our nation’s health are placing lives at risk,” California State Health Officer Erica Pan said in the news release.
Importance of Vaccines
Washington state Health Secretary Dennis Worsham said public health is about prevention — “preventing illness, preventing the spread of disease, and preventing early, avoidable deaths.”
“Vaccines are among the most powerful tools in modern medicine; they have indisputably saved millions of lives,” Oregon Health Director Sejal Hathi said. “But when guidance about their use becomes inconsistent or politicized, it undermines public trust at precisely the moment we need it most.”
Partnership Seeks Expert Medical Advice
The three states plan to coordinate their vaccine recommendations and immunization plans based on science-based evidence from respected national medical organizations, said a joint statement from Gov. Bob Ferguson of Washington, Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.
Response from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew G. Nixon shot back in a statement Wednesday that “Democrat-run states that pushed unscientific school lockdowns, toddler mask mandates, and draconian vaccine passports during the COVID era completely eroded the American people’s trust in public health agencies.”
He said the administration’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices “remains the scientific body guiding immunization recommendations in this country, and HHS will ensure policy is based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science, not the failed politics of the pandemic.”
Public Health Agencies Across Nation Start Vaccine Efforts
Meanwhile, public health agencies across the country have started taking steps to ensure their states have access to vaccines after U.S. regulators came out with new policies that limited access to COVID-19 shots.
State-Level Initiatives
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s health department said last week it is seeking advice from medical experts and its own Immunization Advisory Committee on COVID-19 vaccines and other immunizations for the fall respiratory season.
The health department plans to provide citizens “with specific guidance by the end of September to help Illinois health care providers and residents make informed decisions about vaccination and protecting themselves and their loved ones,” Health Director Sameer Vohra said in a statement.
New Mexico said it was updating its protocols to allow the state’s pharmacists to consider recommendations from the state’s health department when administering vaccines rather than just the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Previous Collaborations
The West Coast Alliance isn’t the first time Democratic-led states have banded together to coordinate policies related to public health.
In the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, states formed regional alliances to gain buying power for respirators, gloves and other personal protective equipment for front-line workers and to coordinate reopening their largely shuttered economies.
Conclusion
The formation of the health alliance by the Democratic governors of Washington, Oregon, and California is a response to the perceived politicization of the CDC and the potential risks it poses to public health. The alliance aims to establish science-based vaccine recommendations and immunization plans, independent of federal policies. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, it remains to be seen how effective this alliance will be in protecting public health.
FAQs
Q: What is the purpose of the health alliance formed by the Democratic governors of Washington, Oregon, and California?
A: The purpose of the alliance is to establish science-based vaccine recommendations and immunization plans, independent of federal policies, in response to the perceived politicization of the CDC.
Q: What prompted the formation of the health alliance?
A: The formation of the alliance was prompted by the Trump administration’s restructuring and downsizing of the CDC, as well as its attempts to advance anti-vaccine policies.
Q: How will the alliance coordinate vaccine recommendations and immunization plans?
A: The alliance will coordinate vaccine recommendations and immunization plans based on science-based evidence from respected national medical organizations.
Q: What is the response of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the formation of the health alliance?
A: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has stated that the administration’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices remains the scientific body guiding immunization recommendations in the country, and that policy will be based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science.
