Portside

1. Western States Break With CDC, Issue Own Vaccine Recommendations

2. Six Northeastern States Preempt Federal Vaccine Recommendations

Western States Break With CDC, Issue Own Vaccine Recommendations

Jesus Mesa and Gabe Whisnant
Newsweek
September 17, 2025

Four Democratic-led Western states on Wednesday issued their own guidelines for seasonal vaccines, a direct rebuke of federal health policies under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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), 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 j.mosquera@newsweek.com

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. Policies and standards.

Six Northeastern States Preempt Federal Vaccine Recommendations

Caroline Lewis
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, 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 earlier 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 clewis@wnyc.org.

Gothamist is a website about New York City news, arts, events and food, brought to you by New York Public Radio. Donate. Newsletters.