West Coast Health Alliance
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The West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) is a coalition formed by an interstate compact among the states of California, Oregon, Hawaii, and Washington to coordinate public health guidelines separate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),[1] including safeguarding access to vaccines.[2]
The plan was initially announced by the governors of California, Oregon, and Washington on their respective state websites on September 3, 2025.[3][4][5] The next day, Hawaii announced that it would join.[6] On September 23, Nevadan organizations representing thousands of healthcare clinicians and public health professionals strongly urged that Nevada join.[7]
The WCHA criticized the dismantling of the CDC[8] and announced plans to coordinate providing evidence-based immunization recommendations and public access information about the safety and efficacy of vaccines.[9][10][11]
The coalition was formed after a series of controversial decisions by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A week before the announcement, CDC director Susan Monarez was fired over disagreements on vaccine policy, with her attorneys saying she "refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives".[1] Four more top CDC leaders resigned claiming political interference in their duties.[11] In June, Kennedy fired all 17 members of an advisory panel for vaccine recommendations, replacing some with people who allegedly had previously spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.[9][10]
Earlier in 2025, the Food and Drug Administration had limited access to COVID-19 vaccines, which had previously been available to everyone over 6 months of age.[9] Under the new guidelines, only adults older than 65 and individuals with underlying health issues can receive the vaccines without first consulting a healthcare provider.[9][10] The CDC also removed its recommendation that pregnant women receive the vaccine and required parents to consult a physician before their children could be vaccinated.[10]
The initial member states previously participated in the Western States Pact, which helped coordinate the rollback of economic restrictions implemented by the state governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The WCHA released recommendations for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccines for the 2025-2026 academic year.[12][13]