New York, alongside several other Northeastern states, is establishing a new regional public health coalition. This move aims to proactively issue vaccine recommendations and synchronize public health strategies, directly challenging the recent shifts in federal health policy under the Trump administration. This initiative has been confirmed by two New York officials.
Governor Kathy Hochul is anticipated to formally announce New York’s participation in this collaborative effort on Thursday morning. This Northeastern initiative mirrors the recent formation of the West Coast Health Alliance, a group of four Democratic-led Western states, including California, which just released its own independent vaccine guidelines.
Both the Western and Northeastern alliances represent a concerted effort by states to bolster public health infrastructure and provide official government endorsements for vaccines. This comes at a critical juncture when federal public health agencies are scaling back their activities and influence.
Named the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, this group, much like its Western counterpart, is strongly emphasizing the importance of widespread vaccination. This focus emerges as federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leads a significant campaign against vaccines. Furthermore, in recent weeks, the federal government has revoked major contracts for vaccine research and development and implemented new restrictions that hinder access to the latest COVID-19 vaccines.
Officials within these states are poised to release specific recommendations for the most recent coronavirus vaccines. These guidelines will cover infants and toddlers aged 6 to 23 months, as well as adults over 19 years old. Additionally, the recommendations suggest that healthy children over two years old and adolescents may receive the coronavirus vaccine, and explicitly state that all children with pre-existing health conditions should be vaccinated.
Dr. James V. McDonald, New York State’s health commissioner, emphasized the life-saving impact of vaccines, stating, “Vaccines save lives, and this guidance ensures every New Yorker, from our youngest children to those at highest risk, has safe, reliable 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 had only authorized updated coronavirus vaccines for individuals aged 65 and older, and for younger individuals with specific underlying medical conditions that elevate their risk from COVID-19. Notably, healthy adults under 65 were excluded from this federal authorization. In response, several state officials, including Governor Hochul, bypassed federal guidelines by issuing executive orders that permitted pharmacists to administer the newest coronavirus vaccines to nearly all individuals seeking them.
The Northeast Public Health Collaborative comprises New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and notably, New York City, which boasts the nation’s largest municipal health department.
Public health officials revealed in interviews that the Northeast collaborative’s planning has been in progress for a considerable period. Representatives from various state health departments recently convened in Rhode Island to finalize the details. The initiative has already established dedicated working groups to address critical areas such as vaccine recommendations, comprehensive data collection, and enhancing laboratory capabilities.
According to officials, this new undertaking leverages existing inter-state public health collaborations, including a long-established network of New England public health laboratories. The directors of these labs have been meeting for decades to collectively resolve challenges.
Members of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative have also expressed intentions to coordinate public health preparations for the upcoming 2026 World Cup and to collaborate on various state laboratory services.
This report is ongoing and will be updated as new information becomes available.