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10 STATES IN THE WEST AND NORTHEAST CHALLENGE CDC, ISSUE OWN VACCINE
GUIDELINES  
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September 17, 2025

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_ Defying RFK Jr's new 'vaccine sceptic' leadership, states in the
West and Northeast are joining forces to create their own health
guidelines based on the recommendations of professional societies of
pediatricians, gynecologists and family doctors. _

"Young boy receiving a vaccine", by SELF Magazine (CC BY 2.0)

 

* Western States Break With CDC, Issue Own Vaccine Recommendations
* Six Northeastern States Preempt Federal Vaccine Recommendations

Western States Break With CDC, Issue Own Vaccine Recommendations

_JESUS MESA AND GABE WHISNANT_
Newsweek
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September 17, 2025

Four Democratic-led Western states on Wednesday issued their own
guidelines for seasonal vaccines, a direct rebuke of federal health
policies
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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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The West Coast Health Alliance — made up of California, Oregon,
Washington and Hawaii — recommended flu shots for everyone 6 months
and older, broad use of COVID-19 vaccines and targeted R.S.V.
vaccinations for infants, older adults and those at higher risk.

The recommendations closely track guidance from major medical groups
but depart from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC
[[link removed]]), which, under Kennedy, has
scaled back COVID vaccine advice for pregnant women and young
children. State health officials said their goal is to protect
residents and reduce hospital strain this winter.

Why It Matters

The coordinated move arrives one day before the CDC's Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is expected to meet and
possibly revise national vaccine guidelines.

The committee's credibility has been challenged after Kennedy removed
all 17 of its original members and replaced them with appointees, some
of whom have publicly expressed skepticism about vaccine safety.

WHAT TO KNOW

The alliance's guidelines are based on recommendations from the
American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. They
recommend that all children between 6 and 23 months receive the
COVID-19 vaccine, along with children 2 to 18 who have risk factors or
live with someone at risk.

The guidance also includes pregnant, postpartum or lactating women, as
well as adults over 65 or younger adults with underlying conditions.
These groups are no longer universally covered under current CDC
guidance.

For RSV, the recommendations include infants under 8 months, pregnant
women between 32 and 36 weeks of gestation, and adults over 75, along
with people aged 50 to 74 with medical risks. Flu shots are advised
for all individuals aged six months and older.

This approach diverges from CDC policy, which, under Kennedy, has
pulled back on recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines among pregnant
women and healthy children. The CDC has yet to update its guidance for
the 2025–26 RSV and flu seasons. That uncertainty has already
created logistical issues in some states.

In Oregon, for example, pharmacies have required prescriptions for
COVID-19 boosters due to the lack of clear federal direction. The
Oregon Board of Pharmacy held an emergency meeting on Wednesday to
consider allowing pharmacists to administer shots without requiring a
doctor's order.

California Public Health Director Dr. Erica Pan said the alliance's
effort was a response to confusion at the federal level and was aimed
at giving the public access to credible, science-based information.
"There is a strong public health, health care and scientific community
that will continue to stand together," she said.

Kennedy has said the vaccines remain available to those who want them,
but without CDC endorsement, it is unclear whether insurance providers
will cover the cost for many people now outside the scope of federal
recommendations.

The CDC has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Jesus Mesa is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Originally from
Bogotá, Colombia, his focus is reporting on politics, current affairs
and trending news. He has covered current affairs, healthcare, pop
culture, and sports. Jesus joined Newsweek's U.S. bureau in 2024, and
has previously worked for The Financial Times and served as an
international reporter and newsletter editor for El Espectador in
Colombia. He graduated with an M.A. in Journalism and Digital
Innovation from New York University. Languages: English, Spanish. You
can get in touch with Jesus by emailing [email protected]
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Gabe Whisnant is a Breaking News Editor at _Newsweek_ based in North
Carolina. Prior to joining _Newsweek_ in 2023, he directed daily
publications in North and South Carolina. As an executive editor, Gabe
led award-winning coverage of Charleston church shooter Dylan Roof's
capture in 2015.

Newsweek is the global media organization that has earned audience
time and trust for more than 90 years. Newsweek is committed to fair,
independent, and transparent journalism. Mission statement
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Six Northeastern States Preempt Federal Vaccine Recommendations

_Caroline Lewis [[link removed]]
Gothamist
September 18, 2025_

The New York City and state health departments, along with the health
departments of six other Northeastern states, announced a new regional
partnership Thursday to develop vaccine guidance and tackle other
public health issues, including infectious disease surveillance and
disaster preparedness.

The group, known as the Northeast Public Health Collaborative,
immediately issued its official COVID vaccine guidance
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preempting recommendations from the federal Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices. That committee is meeting Thursday and Friday
to discuss and vote on recommendations around COVID vaccines, as well
as shots for hepatitis B and measles, mumps, rubella and varicella.

The Northeast Public Health Collaborative is launching as trust in
federal public health agencies falters, amid shifting vaccine
recommendations, broad cuts and an exodus of leadership.

“ What we've seen over the last several months is the erosion of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” said Dr. James
McDonald, the New York state health commissioner. “ This is where
states need to step in and collaborate together so we can actually
take care of our populations the best way possible.”

McDonald said the coalition started informally several months ago. It
was formed, in part, to “ensure trust in public health” and
“strengthen confidence in vaccines and science-based medicine,”
according to the city health department’s announcement on the
partnership. McDonald added that the states could help each other
build up their public health lab capacity and share data.

New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and
Maine also joined the partnership. States on the West Coast announced
a similar alliance
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this month.

Even before the collaborative launched, New York began issuing its own
COVID vaccine guidance for health care providers and insurers, instead
of waiting on the federal guidance from the Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices. That federal committee’s recommendations
usually determine insurance coverage for vaccines, but McDonald said
he is already seeing widespread coverage for the COVID shot in New
York based on state recommendations and guidance from professional
medical groups, indicating a shifting public health landscape.

McDonald said officials in New York and other states in the
collaborative were monitoring the Advisory Committee’s discussion
Thursday about potential changes to recommendations around childhood
vaccination against hepatitis B and measles, mumps, rubella and
varicella, and would consider how to respond.

In the future, McDonald said, the collaborative may also issue its own
guidance on non-vaccine topics.

_Caroline Lewis is on the health care beat for WNYC and Gothamist. She
has covered COVID, a nurses' strike, the overdose crisis and New
York’s marijuana legalization effort, and spent a year investigating
patients' medical bills. She always wants to hear about how everyday
New Yorkers experience the health system. Got a tip? Email
[email protected]._

_Gothamist [[link removed]] is a website about New York City
news, arts, events and food, brought to you by New York Public Radio.
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