West coast states band together to issue vaccine guidelines after CDC and HHS purge

The article discusses how four western states - California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii - have banded together to release their own joint recommendations for Covid, flu, and RSV vaccines this fall. This move comes in response to the recent purge of prominent scientists at the federal health agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the appointment of vaccine skeptics to key roles. The article highlights the testimony of the recently fired director of the CDC, Susan Monarez, who expressed concerns that under the Trump-appointed head of HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., there is "a real risk that recommendations could be made restricting access to vaccines for children and others in need, without rigorous scientific review." The four western states aim to provide a counterbalance to the anticipated changes in vaccine guidance from the Trump administration.