California, Oregon and Washington ally on vaccines in rebuke to Trump's CDC
Source: The Guardian
The governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced on Wednesday the creation of a West Coast Health Alliance aimed at safeguarding access to vaccines, amid growing turmoil at the nations top public health agency under the leadership of Robert F Kennedy Jr.
The newly formed West Coast Health Alliance will coordinate health guidance across the three states, including evidence-based immunization recommendations. Officials say the effort is intended to provide residents with access to consistent and credible information about vaccines in the absence of reliable federal leadership.
According to the announcement, the alliance will release a set of shared principles in the coming weeks. While the states will share immunization recommendations, they will also pursue independent strategies based on their unique laws, geographies, histories, and peoples and with respect to Tribal sovereignty.
Public health officials in California, Oregon and Washington warned of an erosion of trust in vaccines.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/03/west-coast-alliance-trump-rfk-vaccines
This health alliance should go far beyond vaccines. It should be a shadow version of the CDC and should compete with RFK Jr's horrific misinformation spewage in all areas of medicine. This could, and should, be a key element of what has been called "soft secession" where groups of states that can still think create quasi federal agencies that can provide sound policies and recommendations to counter the national government's bullshit. I hope this can be a start to new inter-state compacts where some federal functions are replaced by multi-state agreements. This health alliance should be hiring some of the CDC leaders who have been ousted. We need more Fauci's and fewer RFK Jr's.

C_U_L8R
(47,990 posts)Minus New Hampshire. Doing that live free and dying thing.
BlueKota
(4,551 posts)If it comes to be.
Mr.WeRP
(898 posts)NH is the only one who did not participate. The Northeast conference also included efforts to backfill the cuts to medicaid.
BlueKota
(4,551 posts)I am only 63 but I am hoping the fact that I am overweight, have high blood pressure, and was born with 25 percent of my left lung diaphragm paralyzed I will still be able to get a Covid Booster. I got Covid in 2020 and my doctor immediately prescribed Paxlovid. So hopefully I will qualify.
wolfie001
(5,994 posts)Flaming POS!
BlueKota
(4,551 posts)Not that he gives a shit about that. I still can't believe he is a Kennedy. Other than a physical resemblance it seems he doesn't share a lot else in common with many of them.
lostincalifornia
(4,338 posts)Punx
(473 posts)
BlueKota
(4,551 posts)DebbieCDC
(2,548 posts)erronis
(21,176 posts)such as regional drug purchasing alliances.
Of course this fracturing of the federal function is exactly what putin/thiel/rump-vance want. United we stand, ....
LymphocyteLover
(8,668 posts)GenThePerservering
(3,028 posts)The powerhouses of this country are aligning and combining our strength. If we did NOT do that, then the axis of evil might get what they want because we would be all be tethered to the weakest (magat) states.
Karasu
(1,956 posts)do. Unity isn't possible under fascism, least of all when people can no longer agree on settled science or a shared reality based on objective fact.
NJCher
(41,257 posts)Were not under fascism when we make such working alliances.
IMOA better word would be transcending fascism.
I personally dont care much if Im unified with some red state.
NJCher
(41,257 posts)With them I dont think planning goes much beyond impulse of the moment.
This is whats called thinking it through and they have never been able to do that.
CousinIT
(11,823 posts)Huh. Maybe I'll just stay there.
Karasu
(1,956 posts)Last edited Wed Sep 3, 2025, 04:58 PM - Edit history (3)
Actually exercise all those states' rights the GOP used to pretend to give a fuck about until they got the fascist government they always dreamed of.
BigmanPigman
(53,606 posts)I wish they'd protect my ACA insur and tax credits. $1000 increase per month starting on Jan. 1, 2026.
Auggie
(32,537 posts)AllyCat
(18,175 posts)Once online, I wonder if my nurses union can push for our hospital to use this as accurate information to give to patients.
I want to move to Cascadia. Anywhere there. I want to move.
BadgerMom
(3,303 posts)pfitz59
(11,801 posts)into 'sane' and 'insane' sectors.
Queso Delicioso
(20 posts)At least, that some states are starting to go their own way. On the one hand I hate it, but on the other, it's a matter of self-preservation.
Fil1957
(203 posts)róisín_dubh
(12,113 posts)Thanks to Gov Shapiro and the State Board of pharmacy. So far I cant schedule it with CVS, but Ill just go there tomorrow and ask for it. Im a former smoker and cant get it in the UK yet.
wolfie001
(5,994 posts)
Hekate
(99,273 posts)This is such good news
NJCher
(41,257 posts)I think my state, NJ, did it in the past.
Aristus
(70,725 posts)I wonder if this is a possible step toward the establishment of the Republic of Cascadia.
Mysterian
(5,890 posts)There is some sanity here.
wolfie001
(5,994 posts)"Alabama" haters out there for the most part. We have them here in the far east and west in Maryland. Orange fat imbecile has his cult in every state. 🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵
Mysterian
(5,890 posts)Still sane and fuck the fascists. I'll be here to help drive them the fuck out.
wolfie001
(5,994 posts)
tinrobot
(11,729 posts)So glad I live here.
HappyLarge
(67 posts)I have elderly patients and small children. Its a combo that need immunizations.
The Roux Comes First
(1,818 posts)And it is in the sincere hope that this will be a short-term band-aid until we end the insanity of the Greed Party, who already as individual states are receiving far more federal welfare than their tax contributions warrant.
samnsara
(18,614 posts).. I will never move from the west coast unless its to canada
wolfie001
(5,994 posts)I suggest they start mobilizing and getting their message out! To the world! 💙 From Maryland!!!
oasis
(52,827 posts)most Americans to wallow in similar misery. He has a demonic personality.
Paladin
(31,521 posts)This ought to serve as an anti-Rfk jr. template, all over the country. Far and away trump's worst appointment (although there's plenty of competition).
LetMyPeopleVote
(169,179 posts)Ideally, the United States wouldnt have a patchwork public health system, but the Trump administration hasnt left blue states with much of a choice.
The list of blue states (or at least states led by Dems) circumventing RFK Jr and Trump on vaccines and public health keeps growing:
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-09-04T13:02:43.631Z
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- Massachusetts
- Illinois
- New Mexico
- Pennsylvania
This shouldn't be necessary, but here we are. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/circumvent-rfk-jr-vaccines-democrats-blue-states-start-getting-creativ-rcna229022
And so, reality-based officials are having to get creative.
NBC News reported, for example, on three West Coast states forging a new public health alliance to provide credible information about vaccine safety to the public.
The governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced Wednesday that they were working to provide unified recommendations to ensure residents remain protected by science, not politics. The action comes after months of upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the firing of the agencys director last week.
The Democratic governors Washingtons Bob Ferguson, Oregons Tina Kotek and Californias Gavin Newsom warned that the public would likely face severe consequences if the CDC becomes a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science.,,,,,,
Whats more, theyre not alone. The New Republics Greg Sargent reported last week:
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzkers health department in Illinois is currently exploring the possibility of purchasing Covid-19 vaccines in bulk straight from manufacturers in response to the mess in Washington, a senior Illinois health official confirms to me. Meanwhile, a coalition of mostly blue states led by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is planning to coordinate on the purchase and distribution of pediatric vaccines, should the federal government restrict access to them, according to a source familiar with ongoing discussions.
Indeed, The Boston Globe reported this week that Healey essentially wrote a prescription for Covid shots for every person in the state over the age of 5, a move that would blunt potential federal restrictions on Covid boosters.....
Dr. Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota vaccine expert who heads a project to help states and professional societies make science-based vaccine recommendations, told the Globe this week, This is one of the most dangerous times that public health has faced in the last 50 years.