The window for a counteroffensive is closing fast.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made it abundantly clear since becoming health and human services secretary that his assurances to Congress cannot be trusted. Again and again, he has implemented policies straight from the anti-vaccine playbook, directly contradicting promises he made during his confirmation hearings.
So lawmakers around the country should ignore his insistence that he’s “not taking vaccines away from anybody,” as he testified before the Senate Finance Committee last week. Instead, they should proactively protect immunizations at the state level.
Under Kennedy’s leadership, vaccine access has already become more limited. The Food and Drug Administration restricted eligibility of the coronavirus vaccine to those 65 and older and to younger people with medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to covid-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also withdrawn its recommendation for pregnant women and children to receive the shot.
Kennedy’s claim that “anyone can get the booster” is simply not true. In some states, pharmacies are requiring prescriptions for the shots even for eligible people, and some pregnant patients have struggled to find providers willing to give the shot.
Fortunately, states are taking matters into their own hands. California, Oregon and Washington have announced the formation of a new health alliance to provide unified vaccine guidance to their residents. Other states seeking a reliable alternative to a weakened CDC are likely to follow suit by joining the coalition, as Hawaii has already done, or by creating their own.
This is welcome and necessary. Clinicians need reliable sources of information. For decades, they have turned to the CDC for clear, evidence-based recommendations. If the agency’s website becomes riddled with unreliable data and blatant misinformation, doctors will need to seek alternative references. State health departments can step in to fill the void, serving as an authority not only for clinicians in their own states but also for providers elsewhere seeking up-to-date scientific guidance.
The western states’ alliance has indicated that its recommendations will draw from respected national medical organizations. The more its guidance aligns with scientific evidence, the more obvious it will be that Kennedy and his allies are at odds with the overwhelming majority of health professionals.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have already defied Kennedy by continuing to recommend coronavirus shots for children and healthy pregnant women. The American Public Health Association joined five other medical societies in a lawsuit against Kennedy’s evidence-free changes to covid guidance. If the CDC begins rolling back recommendations to vaccinate against measles, hepatitis B and other preventable diseases, these medical societies must continue condemning such harmful actions.
The combination of national medical societies and state lawmakers can be especially powerful. Doctors and pharmacists may hesitate to offer certain vaccines due to liability concerns. In fact, in a post on X last month, Kennedy insinuated that doctors and hospitals could face legal consequences if they strayed from federal guidance.
But providers will feel more assured if their professional societies continue to affirm the safety and necessity of vaccines. They will feel even more protected if states pass legislation shielding them from vaccine-related lawsuits. States can also use their regulatory authority to safeguard medical licenses, ensuring that providers are not penalized for practicing evidence-based medicine. And they should welcome clinicians whose licenses are threatened in other states.
Lawmakers should use every policy lever at their disposal. Last week, Massachusetts began requiring insurance carriers to cover vaccinations recommended by its health department regardless of federal guidance. Massachusetts, Colorado and New York have issued standing orders that allow pharmacists to dispense coronavirus vaccines without a physician’s prescription.
These are terrific blueprints for other states to follow. States could also increase funding for local health departments and community health centers so that vulnerable populations can access free or low-cost vaccines. And they can establish data-sharing systems so that information flow does not stop if the CDC halts or manipulates its analyses.
Such a decentralized approach has its downsides. It opens the door for some states to go even further than the federal government in restricting vaccine access, which some jurisdictions (such as Florida) seem all too eager to embrace.
And, of course, infectious diseases do not respect state lines. A fragmented system would inevitably lead to harder-to-control outbreaks. Moreover, if a science-friendly administration were to take office in the future, it would inherit a fractured public health infrastructure that would be hard to rebuild.
But a fractured system is better than watching Kennedy systematically tear apart the current one. The next meeting of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee — staffed entirely by Kennedy’s handpicked allies — is less than two weeks away, and it could deliver the first of many blows to trusted childhood vaccines. The window to mount a counteroffensive is closing fast.
Dr. Leana Wen is a compelling keynote speaker because she combines her expertise as a physician and public health leader with a unique ability to translate complex medical issues into clear, actionable guidance for the public. Her thoughtful commentary on critical health topics—from vaccines to health equity—makes her an invaluable voice in today’s fast-evolving healthcare landscape. With her deep experience in both clinical practice and policy, she empowers audiences to make informed decisions and engage meaningfully with public health challenges. To host her at your event, contact us.
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