A coalition of 15 U.S. state governors representing more than a third of the country’s population
has launched a new bipartisan alliance on Wednesday, aimed at improving public health coordination and emergency preparedness.
The Governors Public Health Alliance will serve as a hub for go
vernors and public health officials to share best practices, exchange data
and collaborate on emergency response, vaccine policy and other te
chnical issues, according to a joint statement from the coalition.
The alliance of mostly Democratic states and territories comprises Colorado, California, Connecticut, Dela
ware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nor
th Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Guam.
“While Donald Trump and RFK Jr. turn their backs on public health, Gove
rnors are stepping up to make sure our residents have the health care they
need and deserve,” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said.
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Severe budget reductions due to current and proposed federal cuts and funding pullbacks under the Trump ad
ministration have put public health at risk, the governors said.
“Democrat-led states that imposed unscientific school closures, tod
ler mask mandates, and vaccine passports during the COVID era are the on
es who destroyed public trust in public health,” U.S. Department of Hea
lth and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement to Reuters.
The Trump Administration and Secretary Kennedy are rebuilding trust
by grounding every policy in rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science – not the failed politics of the pandemic, Nixon added.
The alliance is supported by GovAct, a nonpartisan nonprofit initiative that supports coordinated govern
or action, and advised by national health experts, including Dr. Mandy Co
hen, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The launch comes as U.S. states and territories prepare for seasonal illnesses like flu and RSV, monitor emerging
threats such as avian flu and mpox, and plan for major international eve
nts like the 2028 Olympics, where cross-border coordination will be critical.
The alliance will equip governors with toolkits, policy briefings,
and strategies, while providing a forum to address health security challenges.
The Northeast and West Coast states have created similar allian
ces to make their own vaccine recommendations in response to the Trump administration’s changes to federal vaccine policy.