California, Oregon, and Washington Form West Coast Health Alliance to Coordinate Public Health Guidance
SACRAMENTO, September 3, 2025 (CALIFORNIA NEWS TODAY) — State governments in California, Oregon, and Washington have announced the creation of the West Coast Health Alliance, a regional partnership to provide evidence-based immunization recommendations and maintain public confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy.
The alliance comes in response to recent federal actions that state leaders say have undermined the independence of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Governors Gavin Newsom of California, Tina Kotek of Oregon, and Bob Ferguson of Washington issued a joint statement announcing the initiative.
“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,” said the governors in a joint statement.
“The dismantling of public health and dismissal of experienced and respected health leaders and advisors, along with the lack of using science, data, and evidence to improve our nation’s health are placing lives at risk. California stands together with our public health and medical professional colleagues to uphold integrity and support our mission to protect the health of our communities”, said Erica Pan, Director and State Public Health Officer at the California Department of Public Health.
Sejal Hathi, Director of the Oregon Health Authority, emphasized the need for clear communication. “Our communities deserve clear and transparent communication about vaccines — communication grounded in science, not ideology. Vaccines are among the most powerful tools in modern medicine; they have indisputably saved millions of lives. But when guidance about their use becomes inconsistent or politicized, it undermines public trust at precisely the moment we need it most. That is why Oregon is committed, alongside California and Washington, to leading with science and delivering evidence-based recommendations that protect health, save lives, and restore confidence in our public health system,” said Hathi.
“When federal agencies abandon evidence-based recommendations in favor of ideology, we cannot continue down that same path. Washington State will not compromise when it comes to our values: science drives our public health policy. Public health at its core is about prevention — preventing illness, preventing the spread of disease, and preventing early, avoidable deaths. We stand firmly with trusted medical professionals and organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as well as fellow West Coast health agencies — whose guidance remains rooted in rigorous research and clinical expertise. Our commitment is to the health and safety of our communities, protecting lives through prevention, and not yielding to unsubstantiated theories that dismiss decades of proven public health practice”, said Dennis Worsham, Secretary of Health at the Washington State Department of Health.
According to the states, the Alliance will align immunization recommendations with guidance from national medical organizations. While each state will continue to pursue its own strategies, the partnership will establish shared principles to strengthen public trust in vaccines. The alliance will also recognize Tribal sovereignty, affirming that Tribes retain authority over their vaccine services.
For more information, visit www.cdph.ca.gov, www.oregon.gov/oha, or www.doh.wa.gov.
Source: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
