California, Oregon and Washington have formed a new West Coast Health Alliance in response to the upheaval and changing vaccine guidance at the CDC.
Trump demands that “proof” vaccines work amid the CDC turmoil
President Donald Trump has questioned the COVID-19 vaccine, and has proven by pharmaceutical companies that demand that they work amid the changes at the CDC.
Straight Arrow News
- California, Oregon and Washington have formed the West Coast Health Alliance to provide science-based health guidance.
- The alliance was created in response to what the governor calls the politicalization of the CDC under the Trump administration.
- The group will provide residents of three states with their own recommendations regarding vaccination and vaccine safety.
Health officials in California, Oregon and Washington have formed a new West Coast Health Alliance in response to changing federal guidance on vaccines and disruptions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The alliance’s goal is to “ensure that residents are protected by science, not politics,” according to a September 3 joint announcement from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson.
Three Democrat governors said the alliance will provide recommendations to residents regarding vaccination, ensuring that the public receive reliable information on vaccine safety and efficacy. The governor was called The alliance is a unified response to what they called the Trump administration’s “destroy” of the CDC, and federal agencies Vaccine guidance.
“President Trump’s mass shootings of CDC doctors and scientists and his blatant politicization of institutions are a direct attack on the health and safety of the American people,” the governor said in a statement. “The CDC has become a political tool to increase the promotion of ideology instead of science, ideology that leads to serious health impacts.
The announcement came on the same day that a group of employees of more than 1,000 current and former Department of Health employees issued a letter calling for Chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign.
A September 3 letter to Kennedy and Congress said Kennedy “continues to put the country’s health at risk.” Kennedy’s HHS has been the subject of several controversy, including cuts in funding for mRNA vaccine development and the apparent conflict that led to the firing of White House CDC Director Susan Monares.
Kennedy has been a longtime vaccine skeptic, spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation about vaccines, pediatric illnesses and COVID-19.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump called for an immediate release of internal corporate data in his Truth Social Post on September 1, demanding that he “justify success” in the fight against the Covid-19 virus.
“Many people think they’re a miracle that saved millions of lives. Others don’t agree!” Trump said of the Covid-19 vaccine created by Pfizer, Moderna and other pharmaceutical companies. “I want the answer because the CDC is torn apart with this question, but I want it now.”
The West Coast Alliance Wants “Science-Based Recommendations”
The West Coast Health Alliance said it will adjust health guidelines by adjusting vaccination recommendations notified by respected national healthcare agencies.
“This will allow residents to receive consistent science-based recommendations that they can rely on, regardless of changing federal government behavior,” they said.
In June, Kennedy fired all 17 members of the CDC Advisory Panel, creating recommendations on who should be vaccinated, replacing many of them with so-called vaccine skeptics. Newsom, Kotek and Ferguson denounced the move.
On August 27, the Food and Drug Administration set stricter guidelines on who can receive the latest Covid-19 vaccine, recommending shots only for people over the age of 65 or with existing health issues.
Previously, almost everyone could get vaccinated after six months or more. These changes can hinder access to vaccines, as health insurance companies usually only cover vaccines recommended by the CDC.
“If federal agencies abandon evidence-based recommendations in favor of ideology, we cannot go the same path,” Washington Health Secretary Dennis Warsham said in a statement. “Our commitment is to the health and safety of our community, protecting lives through prevention and not succumbing to unfounded theory that dismisses decades of proven public health practices.”
The alliance will “confirm shared principles to strengthen public confidence in vaccines and public health” in the coming weeks, they said.
“Together, our state relies on the best science and knowledge available to protect public health, including scientific information about vaccination,” Newsom said in a statement. “We have serious concerns about the integrity and transparency of future federal vaccine recommendations and will continue to work together to ensure that science and healthy medicine prioritize it to prevent the loss of life.”
