States, Nonprofits Take Steps To Safeguard Access To Vaccines

CNN (6/30, Goodman) reports some states and private partnerships are “scrambling to ensure that vaccines will still be available to those who want them” in response to recent actions taken by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Several groups are working to establish “panels of subject matter experts who would review the latest science behind vaccines and make evidence-based recommendations for their use.” The Vaccine Integrity Project, which aims to “counter disinformation around vaccines and provide updated guidelines on their use,” is being coordinated by the Center for Infectious Disease Research. Meanwhile, “nine states have banded together to create the Northeast Public Health Collaboration, which is staffed by state and city health officials.” One of those states, Maine, “recently struck language in its vaccine access law referencing ACIP and created a pathway to purchase vaccines outside of the federal Vaccines for Children Program.” Colorado also “recently passed legislation to protect coverage for a range of preventive services, including vaccines.”