New York, alongside several other Northeastern states, is establishing a regional public health coalition. This alliance aims to provide its own vaccine recommendations and synchronize public health initiatives, signaling a direct challenge to the Trump administration’s evolving health policies, according to sources within New York officialdom.
Governor Kathy Hochul is slated to unveil New York’s participation in this groundbreaking initiative on Thursday. This regional endeavor mirrors the recently formed West Coast Health Alliance, a group of four Democratic-led Western states, including California, which just released its own vaccine guidelines.
Both the Western and Northeastern coalitions represent a significant move to strengthen public health infrastructure and provide official governmental endorsement for vaccines, especially as federal public health agencies appear to be withdrawing from this critical role.
This new Northeastern alliance, officially named the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, shares a key focus with its Western counterpart: promoting broad vaccination efforts. This emphasis comes as federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. actively campaigns against vaccines. Recently, the federal government has even canceled significant contracts for vaccine research and development, and placed limitations on access to newer versions of the Covid vaccine.
The state officials involved are anticipated to release guidelines for the latest coronavirus vaccines, specifically recommending them for infants and toddlers aged 6 to 23 months, as well as adults over 19. Additionally, their recommendations suggest that healthy children over two years old and adolescents may receive the coronavirus vaccine, while children with pre-existing health conditions should definitely be vaccinated.
Dr. James V. McDonald, New York State’s health commissioner, stated, “Vaccines save lives, and this guidance guarantees that every New Yorker, from our youngest residents to those most vulnerable, will have safe and dependable access to the Covid vaccine.”
These new state-level recommendations stand in stark contrast to the federal government’s directives. Just last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated coronavirus vaccines exclusively for individuals 65 and older, and for younger people with specific underlying health issues that increase Covid risks. The FDA notably withheld authorization for healthy adults under 65, prompting several state officials, including Governor Hochul, to issue executive orders. These orders empowered pharmacists to administer the newest coronavirus vaccines to most individuals who desired them.
The Northeast Public Health Collaborative encompasses a significant roster of participants: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and New York City, the latter boasting the nation’s largest municipal health department.
According to interviews with public health officials, planning for this Northeastern collaborative has been ongoing for a while. Representatives from various state health departments converged at a Rhode Island hotel last month to finalize details. The initiative has already established dedicated working groups to tackle key areas such as vaccine guidelines, data collection strategies, and bolstering laboratory capabilities.
Officials further noted that this new undertaking leverages existing inter-state public health collaborations. One notable example is a long-established network of New England public health laboratories, whose directors have routinely convened for decades to address and resolve complex issues.
Members of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative also plan to coordinate public health preparations for the upcoming 2026 World Cup and collaborate on improving state laboratory services.
This remains a developing story, and updates will be provided as new information becomes available.