California Governor Gavin Newsom this week signed AB 144, landmark legislation championed by the California Medical Association (CMA) and legislative leaders to safeguard access to vaccines in California. The law comes amid  concerns that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may adopt vaccine recommendations that undermine the health and safety of communities across the country.

Currently, insurance coverage for vaccines depends on federal recommendations rooted in scientific consensus. Recent federal actions cast doubt on these recommendations, threaten decades of progress against preventable diseases, fuel public mistrust and force physicians to spend critical time countering misinformation in the exam room.

AB 144 will protect Californians by:

• Establishing California’s baseline for vaccine coverage as the immunization schedule recommended the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices as of January 1, 2025.
• Authorizing the California Department of Public Health to modify or supplement these baseline recommendations, considering 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 people providing immunizations in accordance with CDPH recommendations through January 1, 2030.

CMA is proud to stand alongside the Legislature and the Newsom Administration to ensure every Californian can access life-saving vaccines.

“Today’s signature on AB 144 will allow California to align the state’s health insurance coverage policies with recommendations from credible medical organizations,” said CMA President Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician. “AB 144 is critical to ensuring that Californians continue to have access to life-saving vaccines according to evidence-based standards by updating insurance coverage requirements and other laws related to vaccination.”

West Coast Health Alliance issues first joint vaccine recommendations

The signing of AB 144 coincided with the release of the first coordinated vaccine guidance from the West Coast Health Alliance — a coalition formed by California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii to keep public health decisions rooted in science and shielded from political interference.

The Alliance states are pushing back against federal efforts undermining scientific standards and share a commitment to ensuring that health recommendations are guided by safety, efficacy, transparency, access and trust. To develop its recommendations, public health officers (all of whom are physicians) and subject matter experts from each of the states reviewed guidelines from leading national medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

To learn more about these updated recommendations, see the Alliance’s 2025–26 Respiratory Vaccine Recommendations.

CMA: Standing firm for science and public trust

CMA has long championed public health policies grounded in scientific evidence and will continue advocating for policies that safeguard patients, protect communities and restore confidence in the public health system. We remain focused on ensuring that proven, life-saving medications remain available for all Californians, especially those who need them the most.