The governors of California, Oregon, and Washington state announced plans for a new West Coast Health Alliance to provide vaccine recommendations to their residents apart from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Formed as a response to federal actions that the governors state have “undermined the independence of the CDC and raised concerns about the politicization of science,” the alliance will provide a basis for the three states to coordinate evidence-based vaccination recommendations for their residents and to ensure residents have access to credible information on vaccine safety and efficacy.
“Since its founding, the CDC has been central to protecting Americans from disease. But recent leadership changes, reduced transparency, and the sidelining of long-trusted advisory bodies have impaired the agency’s capacity to prepare the nation for respiratory virus season and other public health challenges,” California Governor Gavin Newsom, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said in a joint statement. “California, Oregon, and Washington will not allow the people of our states to be put at risk.”
The governors pledge that the alliance will ensure public health policies in the three states are informed by scientists and clinicians and aligned with immunization recommendations from national medical organizations.
Last week, Susan Monarez, M.D., was fired as CDC director, less than a month after taking the role. Several senior officials, including the agency’s chief medical officer, head of vaccines, and data chief, resigned following her ousting.
In June, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — a move that the three states condemned at the time.
“We 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,” the governors said in the statement.
Source: HealthDay
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