West Coast states form health alliance amid concerns over CDC credibility

WA joins 'West Coast Health Alliance'

As national debates heat up over vaccine safety, three West Coast states are taking matters into their own hands.

The governors of Washington, California, and Oregon announced Wednesday they're forming a new West Coast Health Alliance in response to what they describe as the politicization of science and a decline in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) credibility.

The alliance aims to provide unified, evidence-based recommendations on immunizations and other public health matters to residents across the three states.

The governors, Washington's Bob Ferguson, Oregon's Tina Kotek, and California's Gavin Newsom issued a joint statement criticizing the recent changes at the CDC:

"President Trump’s mass firing of CDC doctors and scientists — and his blatant politicization of the agency — is a direct assault on the health and safety of the American people. The CDC has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science, ideology that will lead to severe health consequences. California, Oregon, and Washington will not allow the people of our states to be put at risk."

Officials speak on importance of the health alliance

What they're saying:

State health officials from the three states also weighed in on the new initiative.

"When federal agencies abandon evidence-based recommendations in favor of ideology, we cannot continue down that same path," said Dennis Worsham, Secretary of Health for the Washington State Department of Health. "Washington State will not compromise when it comes to our values: science drives our public health policy. Public health at its core is about prevention — preventing illness, preventing the spread of disease, and preventing early, avoidable deaths."

He added that Washington will stand with "trusted medical professionals and organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists," as well as its West Coast partners.

Oregon Health Authority Director Sejal Hathi highlighted the need for clear communication on vaccines.

"Our communities deserve clear and transparent communication about vaccines — communication grounded in science, not ideology," Hathi said. "That is why Oregon is committed, alongside California and Washington, to leading with science and delivering evidence-based recommendations that protect health, save lives, and restore confidence in our public health system."

Erica Pan, director and state public health officer for the California Department of Public Health, emphasized the risks of not using science and data.

"The dismantling of public health and dismissal of experienced and respected health leaders and advisors, along with the lack of using science, data, and evidence to improve our nation's health are placing lives at risk," she said.

According to the Washington Secretary of State, the West Coast Health Alliance could be announcing COVID-19 vaccine recommendations in the next couple of days, though a specific date was not given.

Feds respond

The Department of Health and Human Services responded to the announcement by referencing what iit called "the failed politics of the pandemic."

"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. ACIP 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."

Details of the new health alliance

Dig deeper:

The West Coast Health Alliance says it's goal is to ensure that public health policies in the three states are guided by safety, efficacy, transparency, access, and trust. The alliance will coordinate health guidelines by aligning immunization recommendations based on guidance from respected national medical organizations. This coordination aims to provide consistent, reliable, science-based information to residents.

The three states plan to finalize shared principles in the coming weeks to strengthen public confidence in vaccines and public health. While each state will still independently manage its own policies, these shared principles will form the foundation of the alliance. The states also said Tribes will continue to maintain authority over their own vaccine services.

The press release also noted that the CDC's capacity has been "impaired" due to "recent leadership changes, reduced transparency, and the sidelining of long-trusted advisory bodies." This has led to a vacuum of clear, evidence-based guidance, impacting manufacturers, healthcare providers, and families. The governors' offices previously condemned Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s removal of the 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in June.

The states said they will "continue to provide clear, evidence-based guidance to people living in our states, look to scientific experts in trusted medical professional organizations for recommendations, and work with public health leaders across the country to ensure all Americans are protected."

West Coast US states form health alliance amid concerns over CDC credibility

The governors of Washington, California, and Oregon are forming a new West Coast Health Alliance to provide unified, science-based public health recommendations to their residents amidst concerns over the politicization and credibility of the CDC.

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