The California Medical Association (CMA), in partnership with the Newsom administration and legislative leaders, has introduced SB 144 to protect access to vaccines in California. The measure comes as extreme agendas continue to shape conversations around vaccines, spreading misinformation and fear that threaten children’s health and undermine community immunity.

Insurance coverage for vaccines in California depends on federal recommendations, which have long reflected the scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and effective at preventing disease. Casting doubt on the vaccine schedule jeopardizes decades of progress against preventable diseases, sows mistrust in physicians and forces doctors to spend even more time countering misinformation in the exam room.

SB 144 would safeguard California patients by:

• Establishing California’s baseline for vaccine coverage as the immunization schedule recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on January 1, 2025.
• Authorizing the California Department of Public Health to modify or supplement these baseline vaccine recommendations, taking into account guidance from leading medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
• Providing liability protections for providers administering vaccines through January 1, 2030.

“Protecting the health of Californians—especially children—requires continued access to safe, effective vaccines,” said CMA President Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician. “SB 144 ensures our state will continue to follow evidence-based medicine and the scientific consensus while protecting providers who deliver this vital care. At a time when misinformation is fueling fear and mistrust, we must safeguard the proven standards that keep families  and communities healthy.”

The physicians of California remains committed to protecting children’s health by upholding evidence-based standards and working with state and national partners to ensure California families receive care rooted in science.

CMA is urging physicians to contact their lawmakers and support SB 144.