West Coast governors say states will establish their own vaccine guidelines

The three Democratic governors — Oregon’s Tina Kotek, Washington’s Bob Ferguson and California’s Gavin Newsom — said their states formed a West Coast Health Alliance “to ensure residents remain protected by science, not politics” in response to what they called the Trump administration’s “dismantling” of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s credibility and independence.

It was not immediately clear how the new partnership would affect access to the latest COVID-19 vaccines in light of new federal restrictions.

Last week, federal regulators cleared updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax that target newer variants of the virus. But unlike in previous years, the approval leaves many without clear access to the vaccine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the new shots for anyone age 65 and older, and for anyone six months and older who has “at least one underlying condition” that puts them at higher risk of complications from COVID-19.