THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA...OREGON... AND WASHINGTON .. áAND NOW HAWAIIá... ARE ANNOUNCING THEY ARE FORMING A NEW HEALTH ALLIANCE. LEADERS FROM THE FOUR STATES ARE CONCERNED... RECENT FEDERAL ACTION AGAINST THE C-D-C... HAS POLITICIZED MEDICINE. ACTION NEWS 8 REPORTER ááZOE HUNTáá HAS MORE...### CALIFORNIA, OREGON, AND WASHINGTON... COMING TOGETHER TO FORM A NEW 'WEST COAST HEALTH ALLIANCE'... IN RESPONSE TO WHAT THE 3 STATES ARE CALLING... THE DESTRUCTION OF THE C-D-C'S CREDIBILITY AND SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY ... ESPECIALLY... WHEN IT COMES TO VACCINES UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND HEALTH SECRETARY ROBERT F KENNEDY JUNIOR -- <FILE 1987, 00:03:42:11 THE POLITICIZATION OF MEDICINE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE, AND IT'S A MISTAKE. MEDICINE AND SCIENCE IS SUPPOSED TO BE FACT BASED, NOT OPINION BASED> LOCAL DOCTOR OF INTERNAL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE... 'DAVID CRAIG WRIGHT'... SAYS... HE'S WORRIED THE ANTI-VAX AGENDA... HAS GONE TOO FAR... <FILE 1987, 00;18;55;11 THEY INTEND TO CHANGE THEIR THEY ABSOLUTELY INTENDS TO CHANGE MEDICINE TOTALLY> <FILE 1987, 00:06:10:04 IF WE DON'T VACCINATE PEOPLE, I'M TALKING ABOUT ALL THE VACCINES THAT WE HAVE THAT APPROVED WILL GO BACK TO MY CHILDHOOD WHEN, PEOPLE HAD POLIO AND PEOPLE DIED OF POLIO> THIS ALL COMES AFTER... 'R-F-K JUNIOR'S' DECISION... TO REMOVE ALL 17 MEMBERS OF THE C-D-C'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES... BACK IN JUNE. IN A STATEMENT... CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR... ERICA PAN... SAYS... "THE DISMANTLING OF PUBLIC HEALTH... AND DISMISSAL OF EXPERIENCED AND RESPECTED HEALTH LEADERS AND ADVISORS -- ALONG WITH THE LACK OF USING SCIENCE... DATA... AND EVIDENCE TO IMPROVE OUR NATION'S HEALTH... ARE PLACING LIVES AT RISK." <4CSVACCINEALLIANCE PKG; 00;01;31;15 "WE WANT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET THE VACCINE TO BE ABLE TO GET THE VACCINE. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY BARRIERS, WHETHER IT'S COSTS OR BASED ON RESTRICTIONS THAT AR
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Hawaii joins West Coast states to form health alliance amid concerns over CDC changes
Updated: 1:05 PM PDT Sep 4, 2025
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Zoe Hunt
Anchor/Reporter
Hawaii announced it will join California, Oregon, and Washington to form a new health alliance in response to concerns about the politicization of medicine under recent federal actions.The West Coast states have announced the formation of a new health alliance in response to concerns about the destruction of the CDC's credibility and scientific integrity, particularly regarding vaccines, under the Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Local doctor of internal medicine and infectious disease, David Craig Wright, expressed his concerns about the anti-vaccine agenda. "The politicization of medicine has been going on for a while, and it's a mistake. Medicine and science is supposed to be fact-based, not opinion-based," Wright said. He further emphasized the potential consequences of not vaccinating people, stating, "If we don't vaccinate people, I'm talking about all the vaccines that we have that approved will go back to my childhood when people had polio and people died of polio."This initiative follows Kennedy Jr.'s decision in June to remove all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. In a statement, California Department of Public Health Director Erica Pan said, "The dismantling of public health and dismissal of experienced and respected health leaders and advisors, along with the lack of using science, data, and evidence to improve our nation's health, are placing lives at risk."Pan also highlighted the alliance's goal to ensure access to vaccines without barriers, whether due to costs or restrictions from the CDC. "We want people who want to get the vaccine to be able to get the vaccine. We don't want to have any barriers, whether it's costs or based on restrictions that are coming down from the CDC," Pan said.See more coverage of top Central Coast stories | Download our app / Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SALINAS, Calif. —
Hawaii announced it will join California, Oregon, and Washington to form a new health alliance in response to concerns about the politicization of medicine under recent federal actions.
The West Coast states have announced the formation of a new health alliance in response to concerns about the destruction of the CDC's credibility and scientific integrity, particularly regarding vaccines, under the Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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West Coast states form health alliance over CDC turmoil
Local doctor of internal medicine and infectious disease, David Craig Wright, expressed his concerns about the anti-vaccine agenda.
"The politicization of medicine has been going on for a while, and it's a mistake. Medicine and science is supposed to be fact-based, not opinion-based," Wright said.
He further emphasized the potential consequences of not vaccinating people, stating, "If we don't vaccinate people, I'm talking about all the vaccines that we have that approved will go back to my childhood when people had polio and people died of polio."
This initiative follows Kennedy Jr.'s decision in June to remove all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
In a statement, California Department of Public Health Director Erica Pan said, "The dismantling of public health and dismissal of experienced and respected health leaders and advisors, along with the lack of using science, data, and evidence to improve our nation's health, are placing lives at risk."
Pan also highlighted the alliance's goal to ensure access to vaccines without barriers, whether due to costs or restrictions from the CDC.
"We want people who want to get the vaccine to be able to get the vaccine. We don't want to have any barriers, whether it's costs or based on restrictions that are coming down from the CDC," Pan said.
See more coverage of top Central Coast stories | Download our app / Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
