California, Oregon, and Washington this week announced the launch of a new West Coast Health Alliance to ensure public health decisions remain grounded in science. The move follows the Trump Administration’s removal of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director and shake up of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which state leaders warn threatens the health and safety of communities across the country.

“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,” Governors Gavin Newsom, Tina Kotek and Bob Ferguson said in a joint statement. “California, Oregon, and Washington will not allow the people of our states to be put at risk.”

The day after the Alliance was announced, Hawaii joined as the fourth member state. “By joining the West Coast Health Alliance, we’re giving Hawaii’s people the same consistent, evidence-based guidance they can trust to keep their families and neighbors safe,” said Hawaii Governor Josh Green, M.D.

State public health leaders emphasized that the Alliance is intended to restore trust and provide residents with clear, consistent vaccine recommendations rooted in evidence. “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,” said California State Public Health Officer Erica Pan, M.D.

The four Alliance states will coordinate health guidelines and align immunization recommendations informed by respected national medical organizations, while respecting Tribal sovereignty over vaccine services. In the coming weeks, they will finalize shared principles to strengthen public confidence in vaccines and public health.

The California Medical Association (CMA), which has long supported public health policies guided by scientific evidence, welcomes the formation of the Alliance.

“Public health only works when it is rooted in science, transparency, and trust. The erosion of the CDC’s credibility puts patients and communities at risk, but California and our West Coast partners are stepping up to ensure that health policy is guided by evidence, not ideology,” says CMA President Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D. “CMA will continue advocating for science-based decisions that safeguard our patients and communities and restore confidence in our public health system.”