States setting own vaccine standards

Axios - The governors of California, Oregon and Washington said yesterday they would collaborate on developing their own vaccine guidelines, in response to what they called the politicization of the CDC.

The newly formed West Coast Health Alliance is the first blue state public health partnership to push back against Trump administration policies.

• Eight northeastern states are also reportedly considering coordinated vaccine recommendations.

The western states said they envision issuing guidelines driven by evidence-based recommendations from national medical organizations.

• The effort also includes releasing shared principles on how to build public trust in vaccines, they said.
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) separately said yesterday his state will sidestep "ridiculous" new Trump administration restrictions on COVID vaccines and allow pharmacists to give the shots without a prescription.

Meanwhile in Florida, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced yesterday that the state will end all of its vaccine mandates, comparing the public health directives to "slavery."

• The state already leads the southeast in non-medical vaccine exemptions among kindergartners, and the rollback could mean fewer school children are inoculated against deadly viruses like measles and polio.

The governors of California, Oregon and Washington said yesterday they would collaborate on developing their own vaccine guidelines, in response to what they called the politicization of the CDC.

Why it matters: The newly formed West Coast Health Alliance is the first blue state public health partnership to push back against Trump administration policies.

• Eight northeastern states are also reportedly considering coordinated vaccine recommendations.

The western states said they envision issuing guidelines driven by evidence-based recommendations from national medical organizations.

• The effort also includes releasing shared principles on how to build public trust in vaccines, they said.
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) separately said yesterday his state will sidestep "ridiculous" new Trump administration restrictions on COVID vaccines and allow pharmacists to give the shots without a prescription.

Meanwhile in Florida, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced yesterday that the state will end all of its vaccine mandates, comparing the public health directives to "slavery."

• The state already leads the southeast in non-medical vaccine exemptions among kindergartners, and the rollback could mean fewer school children are inoculated against deadly viruses like measles and polio.
• Gov. Ron DeSantis said that the state Department of Health can end vaccine mandates not written into state law, but any others will require action by the legislature.