West Coast states issue joint vaccine recommendations ahead of CDC advisers meeting
Source: AP
SEATTLE (AP) — Four Democratic-led Western states announced joint recommendations Wednesday about who should be vaccinated for seasonal respiratory viruses, including the flu and COVID-19, saying the Trump administration has jeopardized public health by politicizing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii early this month formed the West Coast Health Alliance in an effort to combat what they describe as the “weaponization” of federal health agencies to advance antivaccine policies, despite decades of scientific research showing that vaccines are safe and effective.
Their recommendations follow those of major medical organizations and came a day before a panel of CDC advisers were due to begin meeting to review recommendations for some vaccines, including COVID.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading antivaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official, fired the entire 17-member panel earlier this year and replaced it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices. Former CDC chief Susan Monarez told senators on Wednesday she was fired after 29 days on the job after refusing Kennedy's demands that she sign off on changes to the childhood vaccination schedule without data to back up the changes.
Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/west-coast-states-issue-joint-210424536.html