www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 In the wake of confusion caused by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control under the Trump Administration recommending limited access to the Covid-19 vaccine, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the governors of Oregon, Washington and Hawaii made things simpler for their states’ residents with an announcement on Sept. 17. Leaning on proven science, they released a set of vaccine recommendations that make access open to anyone who wants a vaccine. “In the face of federal leadership that has completely failed us, the West Coast is taking action,” Newsom said in a recorded statement, referring to the West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA), which was formed by the governors earlier this month. “Grounded in evidence, safety and transparency issuing new recommendations for our residents starting with a winter schedule for the winter virus season.” Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 144, which authorizes California to base future immunization guidance on credible, independent medical organizations, rather than on the “increasingly politicized” recommendations of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. AB 144 also directs health care plans to cover preventative care, including immunizations, if the care was recommended by federal agencies as of Jan. 1, 2025, or is recommended by the California Department of Public Health. That means health insurance plans must cover Covid-19 vaccines in California. At the federal level, the confusion continued on Friday, Sept. 19 at a contentious meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunizations. That committee was gutted in June by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after he fired all 17 members and replaced them with his own picks. The committee backed away from a previous suggestion to require a prescription for a Covid vaccine, instead voting for a process of “shared decision making,” basically requiring patients to have a discussion with a doctor about the risks and benefits. It was not immediately clear how the process would work. Under the WCHA, “all who choose protection” is the bottom-line recommendation for the Covid vaccine. That includes children ages 6 months and up and all adults. The CDPH is also recommending the flu vaccine for anyone 6 months or older. For RSV, the recommendation is for babies younger than 8 months, all babies with risk factors between 8-19 months, pregnant women between 32-36 weeks, plus anyone age 75 and older, or anyone 50-70 with risk factors. Community-based flu vaccine clinics in Monterey County will soon be underway, beginning Wednesday, Oct. 8, running through Oct. 30. A complete list of times, dates and locations is available at bit.ly/ FluShotsMontereyCounty. Over 2,370 people in California died from Covid during the 2024-2025 season, with over 1,600 dying from flu and 232 people dying from RSV, according to the CDPH. The majority of deaths were in people ages 65 and up. Shot in the Arm Western states band together to make Covid vaccines available side by side with flu and RSV. By Pam Marino In 2021, special clinics drew lines to get Covid vaccines (above). Now anyone can walk into a pharmacy. CDPH recommends it for anyone with risk factors, and anyone who is pregnant, postpartum or lactating. NEWS Health insurance must cover Covid-19 vaccines in California. JOEL ANGEL JUÁREZ
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