Salem, Oregon – Oregon Governor Tina Kotek backed science-based immunization policies after the West Coast Health Alliance confirmed its recommendations on the hepatitis B birth dose and the entire vaccine series. The Alliance’s advice remains in line with what major national health organizations say and is based on long-standing medical evidence.
The West Coast Health Alliance, which includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, said that its hepatitis B recommendations are in line with those of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. These associations have long backed routine hepatitis B vaccinations as a proven and effective way to protect public health.
Governor Kotek stressed how important it is for regions to work together on public health, saying that health decisions often go beyond state lines.
“Public health doesn’t stop at Oregon’s borders, and the West Coast Health Alliance plays an important role for Oregonians looking for guidance on vaccinating themselves or their children,” Governor Kotek said. “The Alliance grounds its decisions in facts, data, and expert consensus. Today’s hepatitis B guidance reflects exactly that. Oregonians who want the vaccine to protect their families should not face artificial barriers to health care due to the Trump administration.”
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Kotek’s comments came at a time when there was a lot of discussion in the US about federal vaccine policy. Public health leaders have criticized U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his recent actions, such as firing all members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee and changing the CDC’s leadership. Experts in public health have said that these actions could make vaccine guidance more political and make it harder for independent, science-based oversight to work at a time when it is most needed.
In response, states in the West Coast Health Alliance said they are stepping in to protect health recommendations that are based on science. The states that are part of the Alliance have all promised to safety, efficacy, openness, access, and public trust. Medical officers and subject matter experts from each state looked over advice from well-known medical groups, such as the American Academy of Family Physicians, to reaffirm the hepatitis B instruction.
The Alliance says that anyone who want to get vaccinated should be able to do so without any extra problems. Its founders say that being able to get clinically advised vaccines is very important for public health and personal choice.
The West Coast Health Alliance said that in the future, it will keep working on its regional framework, keeping an eye on fresh research, and going over new suggestions as they come in. The panel also promised to make its evaluation process clear and to keep the public up to date on future developments.
Governor Kotek said again that she supports these efforts and stressed that science-based guidance is still very important for keeping families safe and keeping people’s trust in public health institutions.
To learn more about these updated recommendations, click here.
