Northeast US states form health alliance in response to federal vaccine limits

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

September 18, 2025 3:30 PM EDT Updated 1 hour ago


NEW YORK, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Seven northeastern U.S. states, including New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, have banded together to form a new public health coalition that will make its own vaccine recommendations in response to the Trump administration's changes to federal vaccine policy. The effort, called the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, resembles a similar collective of California and three other western states known as the West Coast Health Alliance, which issued its own vaccine recommendations on Wednesday that went further than the federal government's latest guidelines.

The Northeast group includes Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island, as well as New York City, the largest U.S. city. Both groups are comprised solely of Democratic-led states. In both cases, the coalitions reflect an attempt to overcome federal limits on vaccine accessibility, including for COVID-19, under the leadership of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic.

In June, Kennedy fired all members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's panel of vaccine experts, which votes on who should receive vaccines and on what schedule, and later replaced them with his own advisers, many of whom share his vaccine skepticism. Insurers typically use the panel's recommendations to determine coverage for inoculations. The panel was meeting on Thursday and Friday to consider whether to alter the nation's childhood immunization schedule, which medical experts warn could lead to preventable deaths.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Thursday that the Northeast coalition had agreed that updated COVID-19 vaccines should be given to children ages six months to 18 years, older children and adults with certain risk factors and adults older than 64. The group also said that all adults are recommended to be vaccinated.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/northeast-us-states-form-health-alliance-response-federal-vaccine-limits-2025-09-18/

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From NYC -

Link to tweet

Mark D. Levine
@MarkLevineNYC
·
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Big news: With RFK Jr waging an all-out war on science, Northeast states are standing up the Northeast Public Health Collaborative to make our own vaccine recommendations and coordinate strategy. Includes NYS, NYC, NJ, MA, CT, RI, PA & ME.

We need much more of this.
Map by NY Times
3:40 PM · Sep 18, 2025

[pfitz59]

1. The nation is fracturing

drawing battle lines..

[NJCher]

25. That's a negative way to look at it

Being a member of the Northeast Collaborative, it’s a sign of government functioning.

If I was a resident of a state not in a collaborative, I’d be talking to my legislator.

[LastDemocratInSC]

30. The states have formed regional compacts to meet regional needs for a long time.

It's an American tradition to work with your neighbors to solve problems. Our national Congress is a manifestation of that but the rump states have made it dysfunctional. Given that our nation is under the thumb of politicians who just "make things up as they along" it's likely that the new health related coalitions will be attacked and that new laws will pop up in an attempt to make them illegal.

I trust the northeastern and western states on this. They are more intelligent and resourceful than the dumbfuckistans in the middle. It gives me a sense of joy and hope.

[murielm99]

2. Illinois needs something.

Minnesota? Michigan?

[LNM]

3. This Minnesotan is in for that.

I know there was some kind of alliance during Covid between Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. I can't remember for sure but believe it had something to do with acquiring PPE. The various Governors created it.

[EarthFirst]

4. The level of insanity that this is necessary is astounding...

I’m stricken with grief that millions of good Americans who have leadership that have pledged fealty to the detriment of their constituents will fall ill by public health crisis with no factual; science-based support from the federal government.

My.Fu*king.God.

[Hekate]

10. Don't agonize. Organize.

[EarthFirst]

12. Roger that!

[Hekate]

5. Good news. How big a chunk of the US population is that?

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Back of the envelope count is 113 million

or about 1/3rd of the country's population (11 states).

[Hekate]

7. We need a few more to get to half. Yay, us.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. I would think the North Central states

like MN, IL, WI, MI might consider something like this.

I forgot a state too - HI, which is part of the West coast group, so the total would be just over 114 million.

If we add in those 4 MW states, you would have ~149 million or about 44% of the U.S. population.

Then one could conceivably consider CO, NM, AZ (I could include NV but they have a GOP governor now so probably not happening).

So if you add those 3 more, to the above 4, that is 165 million (19 states) or 49%!

[ReRe]

22. I like it. Sounds like a block! n/t

[Marthe48]

8. I got my Covid booster today

got in right before brainworm booby drops the ball

[Hekate]

11. My husband got his yesterday, & I got mine a week ago. Keep on keeping on.

[DavidDvorkin]

9. I hope this keeps spreading.

[Wicked Blue]

13. What's going on with Vermont and New Hampshire?

Does it look like they might join later?

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Republican governors

I'm more concerned about Delaware ((D) governor and where the Bidens live)!

[Wicked Blue]

16. I'm worried about New Jersey's governor race

Even though Mikie Sherrill is ahead in the polls, there's no end to Republican dirty tricks and cheating.

The last thing we need is another horror of a repuke governor.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. Well NJ Democrats there have lots of tricks of their own!

It's possible the whole hullaboo with the GOP screwing with the SALT provisions, might still leave a sour taste... And I won't even get into the ICE mess in Newark!

[NJCher]

26. Did you sign up

To write postcards?

I’m working on mine.

[sl8]

18. I don't know the whole story, but VT Dept. of Health says they're in:

A few weeks ago, VT was in, when I checked this morning, they weren't, now this:

Link to tweet

They had approved the vaccines already, independent of the feds.

On edit:

https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2025-09-18/vermont-health-officials-recommend-covid-shots-for-everyone-6-months-or-older

Vermont health officials recommend COVID shots for everyone 6 months or older

Vermont Public | By Lola Duffort
Published September 18, 2025 at 3:57 PM EDT

[...]

Vermont’s announcement follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to significantly narrow eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines, and is the latest example of a state breaking with the federal government as the Trump administration increasingly retreats from the medical establishment on the subject of immunization.

Many blue states are taking a regional approach to public health. Four Western states have formed a coalition to issue unified health guidance as a counterweight to President Donald Trump, as have seven Northeastern states, who formally announced the launch of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative on Thursday.

Vermont is taking a conspicuously quieter approach.

The state was not included in the public rollout of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, although the Vermont health department later said on social media it was in fact part of the group. And a press release about Vermont’s standing order came out of Gov. Phil Scott’s office with little fanfare, and zero mention of Trump.

[...]

Emphasis mine.

[iemanja]

19. Gov. Walz is working to keep access in MN

I just got the Covid and flu vaccines for no charge. Presumably my insurance paid the cost, as usual.

[drray23]

20. hopefully once we retake Virginia this November we also join

All the Democrats are leading by double digits in the races for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. We will also maintain a strong majority in the House and continue to control the Senate.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

21. Wish Maryland would join

[BumRushDaShow]

23. MD is in the NE group

[I_UndergroundPanther]

35. Derp

Thanks

[BumRushDaShow]

36. Here's some info for ya!

Maryland joins multistate coalition to buck Trump administration vaccine policies



ETA - and thanks to MD's article, I saw that Delaware did finally join too and found this - Delaware Joins Northeastern States in Regional Public Health Coalition and further checking, VT has also joined (although NH has still not joined) - Health officials from 10 Northeast states officially band together. New Hampshire remains out.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

37. That gives me hope thanks

[BumRushDaShow]

39. Most welcome!

ETA - I am in Philly and had to run out to pick up a script this afternoon (my scripts were transferred from a recently closed Rite Aid to the nearest CVS). So when they were processing my script at the CVS, the guy behind the counter told me that they had flu and COVID-19 vaccines available for "walk in", any day and any time (that they are open). So that was good to hear that they are "advertising" that for people here.

[Rhiannon12866]

24. Kudos!!! Working for the people!

[Blues Heron]

27. What kind of nation destroys their own health department? I think Trump might be playing for the other team

Just a hunch, the sick fuck doesn’t seem to have our best interests at heart?

Is this country ever going to wake the fuck up?

[I_UndergroundPanther]

38. Project 2025 says

It wants to reduce our population to ten million. If you see it as population reduction it makes sense and it’s very evil nazi shit.

[Sanity Claws]

28. C'mon Vermont and New Hampshire

Join us so we are a solid block.

[AllyCat]

29. I hope Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois do something similar

Although Wisconsin is faltering here and there…we did just have our health department say COVID-19 vax would be available to people in our state.

[Martin68]

31. Necessary for their citizens' health.

[BComplex]

32. Great news! NE states forming health alliances. West coast states working out trade

deals that bypass the trump tariffs. We need to find work-arounds until we can finally be rid of republican russian rule.

[quakerboy]

33. Sad that this is needed

And im curious why this is separate from the west coast state group doing basically the same thing? Surely there is power in unity.

[BumRushDaShow]

34. I think they figured was easier to start "regionally"

particularly if they border each other and they might have doctors who might have offices in more than one of the region's states (especially those right on a border) and would be familiar with the health departments in those states.