The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) faces growing tensions as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to dismantle federal vaccination policies, and several Democratic-controlled states have decided to take action of their own, including assessing scientific evidence and creating new systems to maintain vaccination access for their residents.
Four western states (California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington) formed an alliance. Protect access to vaccines. Several northeastern states have taken similar steps.
The New York Governor said,disaster emergency Statewide, pharmacists are allowed to administer COVID-19 vaccines without a prescription. Minnesota has made similar changes, and Massachusetts now Insurance companies cover vaccines This is not only what the CDC suggests, but what state health departments recommend.
This change represents a shift in public health authority from the federal government to the states. States have traditionally relied on CDC to provide expert guidance on public health issues, including vaccines, workplace safety, water fluoridation, sexually transmitted diseases, and vaping.
Now that Kennedy is concerned eroding trust In vaccines and public health science, some states are exploring new paths, finding other sources of scientific consensus, and changing how they regulate insurers, prescribing health care professionals, and pharmacists.
Colorado has been at the forefront of this movement. On September 3, state officials released the following statement: standing order Allowing pharmacists to administer vaccines against COVID-19. No individual recipe required..
“I will not allow outrageous, expensive procedures or decisions to be made in Washington to prevent Coloradans from accessing the vaccine.” Democratic Governor Jared Polis.
But Colorado leaders have already been laying the groundwork for months to achieve greater autonomy regarding vaccination policy.
Last March, the state legislature change the law States may consider scientific sources other than the federal government when setting school immunization requirements.
“It was clear with this new HHS director that this was becoming a political issue and not an issue based on real science,” the state senator said. Kyle Mullica.
Mullica, who co-sponsored the new bill, is a Democrat and works as an emergency room nurse in the Denver area.
Colorado was one of the first states to change its laws to allow vaccine recommendations to be based on sources other than the CDC. State health boards can now also consult with major health care organizations, such as: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
“We are determined to protect Colorado and ensure that the state is not left vulnerable to the political turmoil we are seeing right now,” Mullica said.
The Democratic-controlled state legislature passed the bill on a largely party-line vote. Nonetheless, Polis signed in April. praised Kennedy’s election last fall.
“I think Colorado is leading the way on this issue.” Dr. David HigginsA pediatrician at the University of Colorado was part of the task force that helped draft the bill.
Higgins pointed out. complementary lawHe said the agreement, signed in May, further strengthens Colorado’s momentum. The law focuses on coverage of preventive health services and seeks to ensure that state-regulated health plans cover the cost of certain vaccines, regardless of future CDC decisions.
“The idea is really to help Coloradans continue to have access to the vaccine,” he explained.
The Colorado office of Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group that Kennedy led before taking the HHS job, did not respond to a request for comment.
Another co-sponsor of the first bill, a Democratic state representative. Lindsay GilchristWith so much misinformation circulating about vaccines, including the COVID vaccine, he said it is more important to hear from a variety of trusted medical experts.
So far, Colorado has turned to the CDC for scientific guidance on vaccines specifically for school-age girls and boys. Like other states, it followed recommendations from a CDC panel known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
kennedy All 17 members were fired Critics say some of these people are vaccine skeptics and unqualified to provide key guidance to the American public.
“I think there’s going to be some confusion about the difference between ACIP’s recommendations, which we traditionally follow, and everyone else’s recommendations,” said Dr. Ned Calonge, Colorado’s chief medical officer.
Calonge now hopes that specialty physician associations that states can rely on will generally have similar guidelines and “review the most up-to-date evidence-based recommendations provided by ACIP” before membership changes.
In May Kennedy announced There is news that the federal government has removed the COVID-19 vaccine from the list of recommended vaccinations for healthy pregnant women and children.
But Colorado still recommends the COVID vaccine during pregnancy, Kalonji said.
“There is no new evidence to indicate a safety concern in that population.” said. “So we are telling health care organizations that our recommendation is to follow what is being proposed in January 2025.”
in declaration The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website strongly recommends that pregnant women get the COVID-19 vaccine. “ACOG continues to recommend that all pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding receive an updated vaccine or booster dose against COVID-19,” the text says.
Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatrics August Recommendation All girls and boys aged 6 to 23 months should be vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as older children in certain risk groups.
Colorado currently follows the same vaccination recommendations as last year.
The most recent ACIP meeting, held on September 18th and 19th, was chaotic. Some members admitted they did not understand what they were voting on and even decided to repeat the vote on children’s access to the MMRV vaccine.
The next ACIP meeting is scheduled for October 22-23, and there may be further changes to vaccination recommendations.
Doctors and vaccine experts have expressed concern about the loss of national consensus on vaccines.
“Now there will be even more confusion and mistrust about vaccines among the public.” Dr. Allison KempeHe is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and participated in ACIP from 2013 to 2018.
Nonetheless, he said he is glad Colorado is moving forward with its own recommendations.
This article is part of an alliance that includes: Colorado Public Radio, NPR why KFF Health News.
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