California law lets state set vaccine schedules, diverging from federal guidance

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Wednesday that would allow California to set its own recommendations for immunizations, rather than rely on guidance set by federal health officials.

Typically, the CDC sets vaccine recommendations based on the available data.

The law was enacted on the same day that California, along with Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, issued joint guidance for COVID, flu and RSV vaccinations, highlighting a widening rift with health officials within the Trump administration.

“Our states are united in putting science, safety, and transparency first — and in protecting families with clear, credible vaccine guidance. The West Coast Health Alliance stands united in protecting public health and always putting safety before politics,” the governors of the four states said in a joint statement.

Under President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., top CDC officials have been fired or replaced, vaccine recommendations for pregnant women and children have been stripped, and funding for mRNA research has been slashed.

The West Coast Health Alliance recommends COVID-19 vaccines for all children aged 6 to 23 months, for individuals aged 2 to 18 with risk factors or no prior vaccination, for adults aged 65 and older, and for younger adults with risk factors. Vaccination is also advised for those in close contact with vulnerable people, those planning pregnancy, pregnant, postpartum or lactating individuals, and anyone who chooses protection.

The organization also issued guidance on flu shots and RSV protection.

The guidelines were developed based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

All recommendations can be found here.