OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A trio of West Coast governors announced that they’ve created an alliance to safeguard health policies in their states.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, Tina Kotek of Oregon and Gavin Newsom of California say that they believe the Trump administration is putting Americans’ health and safety at risk by politicizing the CDC.
The move comes with COVID-19 cases rising and as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has attempted to advance anti-vaccine policies that are contradicted by decades of scientific research.
Concerns about staffing and budget cuts were heightened after the White House sought to oust the agency’s director and some top CDC leaders resigned in protest.
Washington state Health Secretary Dennis Worsham added that public health is about preventing illness, the spread of disease, and early, avoidable deaths.
The partnership plans to coordinate health guidelines by aligning immunization plans based on recommendations from respected national medical organizations.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon shot back, saying that they will continue to ensure HHS policy is based on rigorous evidence.
