Vaccination is safe, effective, and the best protection available against respiratory viruses like COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. Seasonal vaccination is also a critical public health tool to reduce serious illness, community transmission, and strain on hospitals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want the people who live and work in our states to know that there is a strong public health, healthcare & scientific community that will continue to stand together to provide and use the data and evidence needed for you to make healthy choices, and we are here to protect our communities.\u201d \u2013 Dr. Erica Pan, Director of the California Department of Public Health<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a physician, I swore an oath to do no harm\u2014and we know vaccines are among the most powerful tools to prevent illness and save lives. As a new mother, I want the same protection for my newborn that every Oregon family deserves. At a time when Washington is undermining our most basic public health safeguards, Oregon is charting a different course. Our actions today affirm that here, public health is about protecting people, not playing politics\u2014and that every family who wants protection this respiratory virus season should be able to get it simply, safely, and affordably.\u201d \u2013 Dr. Sejal Hathi, MD, MBA, Director, Oregon Health Authority<\/p>\n
\u201cVaccines protect more than just ourselves \u2014 they help safeguard our families, neighbors, and communities. By staying up to date, Washingtonians can reduce the spread of illness and keep our state strong this season. The Alliance\u2019s recommendations are rooted in science, giving our communities confidence in the guidance we provide.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Washington State Secretary of Health Dennis Worsham<\/p>\n
\u201cThe effectiveness of public health institutions depends on the public\u2019s trust. We understand our responsibility to earn that trust by helping people protect themselves, their families and their community. These recommendations represent a collaborative effort, done with humility and based on science, to meet our responsibilities to our communities and the public at large.\u201d \u2013 Kenneth S. Fink, MD, MGA, MPH, Director, Hawai\u02bbi Department of Health<\/p>\n
Truth under assault<\/p>\n
In recent weeks, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has aggressively weaponized the CDC by purging its vaccine advisory committee, firing all 17 members and replacing them with cherry-picked appointees who include vaccine skeptics. He\u2019s forced out the CDC director, triggered high-level and career-staff resignations, and scheduled expedited meetings where this reshaped panel will vote on critical recommendations that guide national vaccine policy and insurance coverage. Public health leaders warn these moves dismantle independent, science-based oversight and inject politics into decisions that protect Americans\u2019 health \u2014 undermining the CDC\u2019s credibility at a moment when trust and clarity are most needed.<\/p>\n
States stepping in\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alliance states are fighting back against the Trump administration\u2019s assault on science \u2014 sharing a commitment to ensuring that health recommendations are guided by safety, efficacy, transparency, access, and trust. To develop these recommendations, Health Officers, who are all medical doctors, and subject matter experts from each of the WCHA states reviewed guidelines from credible national medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Our alliance believes that all clinically recommended vaccinations should be accessible to the people of our states.<\/p>\n
The WCHA will continue to build its structure, evaluate new evidence and recommendations as they become available, and determine how to ensure the review process is transparent. WCHA is committed to sharing any updated assessments with our communities.<\/p>\n