Salem, OR — Today, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek joined Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and California Governor Gavin Newsom in a a joint statement today condemning U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for dismissing all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reiterating their states’ commitment to following the science to protect public health. Secretary Kennedy claimed that the members of ACIP – experts and physicians that develop recommendations on the use of vaccines – were fueling a “crisis of public trust.”
In reality, ACIP has served the nation for 60 years as the trusted, rigorous reference for the nation’s immunization recommendations. ACIP members — who have included current and past employees of the Public Health Departments of California, Oregon, and Washington – have extensive immunization expertise, are carefully screened for major conflicts of interest and selected through a lengthy process. The unprecedented, abrupt removal of all current ACIP members less than three weeks from their next meeting is deeply troubling for the health of the nation.
“Together, our states depend on the best science and knowledge available to protect public health, including scientific information about immunizations. 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.”
– Governors Kotek, Ferguson, and Newsom
The Departments of Public Health in California, Oregon, and Washington all continue to recommend all individuals age 6 months and older should have access and the choice to receive currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines, with an emphasis on protecting higher risk individuals, such as infants and toddlers, pregnant individuals, and others with risks for serious disease. The Departments also continue to recommend that individuals receive vaccinations per the currently published CDC immunization schedules. These recommendations are aligned with the leading medical associations in the United States (American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Practice, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Infectious Disease Society of America).
California, Oregon, and Washington stood up the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup that assisted during the pandemic and are committed to continuing to work with medical experts, professional organizations, and public health partners to ensure our recommendations reflect the best available science and safeguard the health of all of our residents.
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