Governor Gavin Newsom continues to challenge every aspect of President Trump's policy goals, including now in health. Newsom, along with Tina Kotek, the Governor of Oregon, and Bob Ferguson, the Governor of Washington, announced the creation of the West Coast Health Alliance on Wednesday. As of Thursday, Hawaii joined the Alliance.
NEW: As Trump & RFK Jr. destroy the CDC’s credibility, @CAGovernor Gavin Newsom just announced California is teaming up with Oregon & Washington to launch a new “West Coast Health Alliance” to uphold scientific integrity in public health. pic.twitter.com/IrDlpXYIMA
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 3, 2025
NEWS — Roughly 24 hours after the launch of the “West Coast Health Alliance,” Hawaii is joining California, Oregon, and Washington in this shared commitment to safeguard public health.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 4, 2025
Together, these states will provide evidence-based immunization guidance rooted in safety,… pic.twitter.com/ke2U6NlIKr
The group is meant to sidestep medical guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), pitting state guidelines against federal ones in an unprecedented move. While not illegal, conflicting guidelines between state and federal governments open the door to lawsuits.
In a joint statement, the governors said:
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 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.
"Through this partnership, the three states will start coordinating health guidelines by aligning immunization recommendations informed by respected national medical organizations," Newsom's website read.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told Fox News Digital, "Democrat-run states that pushed unscientific school lockdowns, toddler mask mandates, and draconian vaccine passports during the COVID era completely eroded the American people’s trust in public health agencies."
He added that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) "remains the scientific body guiding immunization recommendations in this country," and the HHS "will ensure policy is based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science."
The move comes amid bipartisan skepticism of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine guidelines, and the firing of the CDC Director, Susan Monarez, who said she was fired after refusing to sign off on vaccine guidelines not grounded in scientific evidence. In a Senate hearing that took place on Thursday, RFK denied those allegations and accused Monarez of lying to the American people.
Since her firing, three other senior CDC officials resigned, citing concern that RFK had not been briefed by anyone in the CDC in creating his vaccination guidelines. Around 1,000 current and former HHS employees signed a letter shortly afterwards asking RFK to resign. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has yet to respond.