States Rebel: Massachusetts, California Lead Charge Against Federal Vaccine Policy Shift

A national consensus on vaccination policy is rapidly unraveling, with states like Massachusetts and California actively pushing back against significant shifts in federal health directives under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s administration. As of September 5, 2025, a patchwork of divergent state policies is emerging, raising concerns among public health experts.

Federal health agencies have recently seen a dramatic overhaul, with RFK Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, shaping policies that have led to a suspended federal authorization for COVID shots for healthy adults under 65 and the controversial firing of CDC officials. The FDA, in August, restricted COVID booster doses to only those 65 and older or with specific medical conditions, a move that the newly reconstituted CDC advisory panel is expected to concur with on September 18.

In defiance of these federal changes, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey on Wednesday issued a standing order ensuring widespread access to COVID booster shots for all residents over five years old. This decisive action aims to counteract potential federal restrictions and a decision by CVS last week to halt booster availability in Massachusetts pharmacies. Healey emphasized, “No matter what happens with [Kennedy] and the federal government, we are going to make sure vaccines remain available in Massachusetts.” The state is also coordinating a regional public health collaborative with most other New England states, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Similarly, on the West Coast, California, Oregon, and Washington have formed a “health alliance” to set public health policies independent of the federal government, aiming to shore up vaccine access for their residents. Conversely, Florida’s surgeon general announced plans to phase out all vaccine mandates, including those for public school children, highlighting the extreme divergence across the nation.

Public health experts are sounding alarms, describing this period as one of the most dangerous for public health in decades. Dr. Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota vaccine expert, warns that the federal actions are leveraging existing resentment against COVID shots to undermine decades-old vaccination policies crucial for children’s health. The increasing fragmentation of vaccine policies across states is feared to complicate interstate travel and erode the coordinated public health leadership once provided by federal agencies.

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