The Democratic governors of three states announced on Wednesday that they are forming a new partnership to ensure their constituents receive science-based guidance on vaccines, filling the vacuum left by President Donald Trump’s “blatant politicization” of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, Tina Kotek of Oregon and Bob Ferguson of Washington cited the recent upheaval at the health agency as the main reason they felt compelled to create the West Coast Health Alliance to ensure their constituents can rely on science-based health guidance.
“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 governors said in a statement.
“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,” they added.
A press release explaining how the alliance will operate said the three states will work together to coordinate “health guidelines by aligning immunization recommendations informed by respected national medical organizations” to ensure Americans there are shielded from the confusion prompted by “shifting federal actions.”
