SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — More than a dozen states, including Connecticut, sued the Trump administration Tuesday over its rollback of vaccine recommendations for children, calling the move an illegal threat to public health.
The states argue that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put children’s lives at risk when it announced last month that it would stop recommending all children get immunized against the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV. Under the new guidance, which was met with criticism from medical experts, protections against those diseases are recommended only for certain groups deemed high risk or when doctors recommend them in what’s called “shared decision-making.”
The new vaccine recommendations ignore long-standing medical guidance and will make states have to spend more to protect against outbreaks, the states, including Arizona and California, said.
In a statement, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said, “Vaccines save lives. Trump and RFK Jr. are risking children’s lives.”
Tong went on to say, “We are suing today to protect lives, and to make sure that our nation’s powerful public health guidance follows the law and reflects the facts.”
Emily G. Hilliard, press secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, blasted the complaint as a “publicity stunt dressed up as a lawsuit.”
The lawsuit escalates an ongoing battle between Democratic-led states and Republican President Donald Trump’s administration over the federal government’s changes to public health policy under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The Trump administration has laid off thousands of workers at federal public health agencies, cut funding for scientific research and altered government guidance on fluoride and other topics.
Kennedy last year ousted every member of a vaccine advisory committee and replaced them with his own picks, which Tuesday’s complaint alleges was unlawful.
The lawsuit comes months after the Democratic governors of California, Washington state and Oregon launched an alliance to establish their own vaccine recommendations. The governors said the Trump administration was risking people’s health by politicizing the CDC.
Connecticut has also formed a regional coalition with several neighboring states and New York City, known as the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. The intent of the coalition is to “promote and protect evidence-based public health” by collaborating on issues like vaccine recommendations and infectious disease management.
[RELATED: Amid vaccine uncertainty, CT joins regional health coalition with northeast states, NYC]
States, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren, though the CDC’s requirements typically influence state regulations.
Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani said, “Public health decisions must be grounded in credible science, established process, and the rule of law – not ideology.”
Juthani also affirmed that, “Connecticut’s childhood immunization schedule has not changed, and all vaccines remain available. Families should know that the evidence supporting the vaccines long recommended to protect children is sound and supported by multiple medical societies. We will continue to rely on rigorous scientific evidence and trusted medical expertise to guide our policies and protect the health of our residents.”
CT Mirror staff contributed to this story.