3 States Rebuff RFK Jr., Issue Their Own Vaccine Guidelines in Coordinated Effort

(Mark Schiefelbein/AP photo)

Three states have issued their own guidelines for vaccines in a blatant rebuke of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the New York Times reported Wednesday.

The states of California, Washington, and Oregon joined forces as part of a “health alliance,” according to the Times.

The states intend to use science and data in regard to vaccines, including their safety and effectiveness, after Kennedy’s controversial decision to dismiss the CDC’s entire vaccine board.

“Together, our states depend on the best science and knowledge available to protect public health, including scientific information about immunizations,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a joint statement. “We have grave concerns about the integrity and transparency of upcoming federal vaccine recommendations and will continue to collaborate to ensure that science and sound medicine prevail to prevent any loss of life.”

Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, has been the target of intense vitriol since taking the helm at HHS.

On Monday, nine former directors of the CDC, spanning from Presidents Jimmy Carter to Donald Trump, appealed to the public in a Times op-ed to warn that Kennedy is “endangering every American’s health” in a scathing takedown of his actions.

The former officials wrote that Kennedy’s actions are “unlike anything we have ever seen at the agency, and unlike anything our country has ever experienced.”

Their alarm came after the abrupt firing of CDC director Dr. Susan Monarez, after she clashed with Kennedy.