(Portland, OR) -- Governors from Oregon, California, and Washington have announced a new West Coast Health Alliance to provide science-based public health guidelines independent of the CDC. The move follows federal restrictions on COVID-19 vaccine access under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which limited eligibility for many Americans. State leaders say the alliance will align immunization recommendations with respected medical organizations to ensure consistent access to vaccines without out-of-pocket costs. Officials call the partnership a safeguard against political interference in federal health agencies.