Blue state Governors Gavin Newsom, Jay Inslee, and Tina Kotek unveiled the West Coast Health Alliance in defiance of President Trump’s revised vaccine policies on September 4, 2025.

Their stated goal is to issue regional vaccine guidance based on recommendations from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, while also rejecting recent federal directives from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The alliance directly challenges recent decisions by the Trump administration, which eliminated prior federal vaccine guidance and dismissed the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel.

In a joint statement, the governors stated, “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. 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 alliance follows sweeping changes under Kennedy’s leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services. In recent weeks, Kennedy terminated 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), ousted hundreds of employees, and eliminated vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women. These moves were defended by Kennedy as necessary to remove political bias and restore public trust in science.

West Coast leaders characterized the federal overhaul as reckless and ideologically driven. The governors accused the Trump administration of politicizing the nation’s top public health agency, warning it would undermine public safety and create confusion about vaccine protocols. In response, the alliance pledges to preserve stability in vaccine policy across the three states, offering what they describe as “evidence-based, medically sound” alternatives.

While the Trump administration aims to overhaul pandemic-era policies and reduce government influence over personal health decisions, progressive states are solidifying regional frameworks to maintain centralized, science-driven health directives.

Officials from the alliance did not rule out the inclusion of other states in the future. In the meantime, California, Oregon, and Washington will work jointly to review and issue immunization schedules, especially as federal guidance continues to shift under new leadership in Washington, D.C.

In a tense Senate Finance Committee hearing on September 4, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended sweeping personnel changes at the CDC. He described the firings as “absolutely necessary adjustments” aimed at restoring integrity and effectiveness to the agency. Kennedy emphasized a mandate for “unbiased, politics‑free, transparent, evidence‑based science” as the foundation for future CDC operations.

Senate Finance Committee lawmakers pressed Secretary Kennedy on recent upheavals at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In late August, the CDC laid off roughly 600 employees, and later its director, Susan Monarez, who had been on the job less than a month, was abruptly fired. Four other senior officials also resigned in quick succession.

Kennedy also terminated all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, which is responsible for vaccine guidance. He defended the move, contesting accusations that he “stacked the deck” in his favor. Instead, he stated, “I depoliticized it,” pointing to “conflicts of interest” on the committee as justification for the purge.

Senator Ron Wyden (D‑OR) pushed back, accusing Kennedy of elevating “conspiracy theorists, crackpots, and grifters” into key decision-making roles on critical health matters. Kennedy flatly rejected this charge, asserting that the CDC had “failed miserably” during COVID‑19—despite representing just 4% of the world’s population, America suffered about 20% of global COVID‑19 deaths.

Kennedy insisted the recent firings targeted those with conflicts of interest, poor judgment, or political agendas. “That’s why we need new blood at CDC,” he stated, arguing the agency needs to return to its mission of protecting Americans through credible science—free of bias or partisan influence. He pledged the agency’s direction would remain rooted in transparency and integrity “for the next three years.”