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COVID-19

Northeast States Form Public Health Collaborative Amid Federal Shifts on Vaccines

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Maine and six other Northeast states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and New York state and New York City, have formally announced a collaboration to promote and protect evidence-based public health. This move comes after California, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii formed a similar alliance earlier this month, announcing joint vaccine recommendations for the flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory illnesses. The partnership is a response to the Trump administration's policies, which have been criticized by Democrats as politicizing and undermining the nation's public health system.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Northeast Public Health Collaborative includes eight states and New York City, with Maine contributing to groups on immunizations and public health preparedness and response.
  • The collaborative aims to promote and protect evidence-based public health, focusing on areas such as public health emergency preparedness, vaccine recommendations, and data collection.
  • Each state retains independence to adopt their own initiatives, with Maine specifically contributing to two groups within the collaborative.
  • The collaboration comes as a response to the Trump administration's policies, which have been criticized by Democrats as undermining the nation's public health system.
  • Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making changes at the federal level, including firing the entire 17-member panel of the advisory committee on vaccine recommendations and replacing it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices.
  • Kennedy fired former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez last month, citing a need for her to quit the job if she refused to sign off on the new vaccine recommendations without data or science to back them up.
  • Maine officials are specifically contributing to groups on immunizations and public health preparedness and response, with the state's insurance superintendent telling insurers to cover the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson criticized the NorthEast states' announcement, stating that Democrat-run states eroded the trust in public health agencies during the COVID-19 era.

Statistics:

  • 8 states and New York City are part of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative.
  • The collaborative is focusing on 6 key areas: public health emergency preparedness, vaccine recommendations, data collection, infectious diseases, epidemiology, and lab services.
  • Each state retains independence to adopt their own initiatives within the collaborative.
  • Maine has 2 groups within the collaborative on immunizations and public health preparedness and response.
  • The Trump administration's advisory committee on vaccine recommendations has been reshaped, with a new group including several anti-vaccine voices.
  • Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired the entire 17-member panel of the advisory committee on vaccine recommendations.
  • Kennedy fired former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez last month.
  • Maine has issued a standing order authorizing pharmacists and health care professionals to administer the current COVID-19 vaccine without prescriptions.

Sources:

  • "Maine and 6 other Northeast states form public health collaborative" by Billy Kobin, Bangor Daily News, September 18, 2025.
  • "California, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii form public health alliance" by unknown, September 2025.
  • "Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fires 17-member panel of advisory committee on vaccine recommendations" by unknown, 2025.
  • "U.S. Sen. Susan Collins criticizes Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s firing of former CDC Director Susan Monarez" by unknown, September 18, 2025.
  • "Maine insurance superintendent tells insurers to cover COVID-19 vaccine" by unknown, September 2025.
  • "U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon criticizes Northeast states' announcement" by unknown, September 18, 2025.

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