West Coast States Form Alliance to Provide Public Health Recommendations

In a joint move they say aims to safeguard scientific integrity, Democratic governors Bob Ferguson of Washington, Gavin Newsom of California, and Tina Kotek of Oregon have announced the creation of the West Coast Health Alliance.¹ The partnership aims to deliver unified, evidence-based public health recommendations and restore public confidence in vaccine safety amid what they call the erosion of the CDC’s credibility.

Governors of Washington, California, and Oregon launch the West Coast Health Alliance to provide trusted, evidence-based guidance amid changing CDC policies. | Image credit: Tada Images - stock.adobe.com

“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,” wrote the governors in a joint statement. “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.”

The West Coast Health Alliance, according to their statement, reflects Washington, California, and Oregon’s shared commitment to ensuring that public health decisions are guided by safety, efficacy, transparency, access, and trust. By drawing on the expertise of respected scientists, clinicians, and public health leaders, the alliance will coordinate regional health guidelines, beginning with aligned immunization recommendations based on guidance from leading national medical organizations.

This collaboration aims to provide residents with consistent, science-based information they can rely on, regardless of shifting federal actions. In the coming weeks, the 3 states will finalize shared principles to strengthen public confidence in vaccines and public health while respecting each state’s unique laws, geographies, and histories. The alliance also affirms and respects tribal sovereignty, recognizing that tribes maintain independent authority over vaccine services.

Since its founding, the CDC has played a vital role in safeguarding Americans against disease. Today, however, leadership upheavals, diminished transparency, and changes to bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices such as the have weakened the agency’s ability to prepare the nation for respiratory virus season and other pressing health challenges, according to the news release. In the absence of clear, evidence-based vaccine guidance, manufacturers face uncertainty in planning production, health care providers lack consistent frameworks for patient care, and families are left unsure about access and coverage.

Also today, Pfizer announced that its COVID-19 vaccine has saved more than 14 million lives globally, responding to President Donald Trump’s call for pharmaceutical companies to be more transparent about their pandemic products.²

“We are deeply concerned by the Administration’s change of course to restrict availability of safe COVID-19 vaccines,” Susan Cantrell, MHL, RPh, CAE, CEO of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, said in a statement. “Patient health needs to be the priority for our health policy and that requires adherence to researched, tested, and trusted science surrounding safe, efficient vaccines, which are vital to maintaining and improving health outcomes at the patient and population levels.”

Additionally, public health leaders warn that the CDC is in crisis after HHS Robert F. Kennedy Jr fired CDC director Susan Monarez, PhD, amid efforts to reshape the agency’s mission, according to KFF.³ Kennedy has installed antivaccine allies on key advisory committees, restricted access to mRNA covid shots and some pediatric vaccines, and reduced federal support for states—steps experts say threaten to unravel decades of progress in immunization and outbreak response. With career staff resigning in protest and states left with diminished federal backing, many fear the CDC is losing its role as the nation’s trusted source of science-based health guidance, leaving Americans more vulnerable to preventable disease.

“Our communities deserve clear and transparent communication about vaccines—communication grounded in science, not ideology,” Sejal Hathi, MD, MBA, director of the Oregon Health Authority, said in the governors’ statement.¹ “Vaccines are among the most powerful tools in modern medicine; they have indisputably saved millions of lives. But when guidance about their use becomes inconsistent or politicized, it undermines public trust at precisely the moment we need it most. 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.”

References

1. Washington, California and Oregon to launch new West Coast Health Alliance to uphold scientific integrity in public health as Trump destroys CDC’s credibility. News release. Governor Bob Ferguson. September 3, 2025. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://governor.wa.gov/news/2025/washington-california-and-oregon-launch-new-west-coast-health-alliance-uphold-scientific-integrity

2. Pfizer defends COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness after Trump remarks. Reuters. September 3, 2025. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-defends-covid-19-vaccine-effectiveness-after-trump-remarks-2025-09-03/

3. Armour S. At CDC, worries mount that agency has taken anti-science turn. KFF. September 3, 2025. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/cdc-firings-trump-administration-rfk-shake-up-public-health/