The Northeast Public Health Collaborative is a coalition created by the governors of several northeast states (including New York, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia) to coordinate public health guidelines separate from the CDC, similar to the West Coast Health Alliance. Maryland joined in September 2025, and Virginia joined in March 2026. The voluntary collaboration aims "to share expertise, improve coordination, enhance capacity, strengthen regional readiness, and promote and protect evidence-based public health" and "ensure trust in public health, respond to public health threats, advance community health and strengthen confidence in ... science-based medicine". The NEPHC released COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for the 2025-2026 academic year on September 15, 2025.
Background The coalition was formed after a series of controversial decisions by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A week before the announcement, CDC director Susan Monarez was fired over disagreements on vaccine policy, with her attorneys saying she "refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives". Four more top CDC leaders resigned claiming political interference in their duties. On June 23, 2025, Kennedy fired all 17 members of an advisory panel for vaccine recommendations, replacing some with people who allegedly had previously spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
See also Collaboratives for respiratory virus vaccine guidelines: West Coast Health Alliance Governors Public Health Alliance Interstate pacts for COVID-19 pandemic recovery: Eastern States Multi-state Council Midwest Governors Regional Pact Western States Pact Second presidency of Donald Trump Vaccination policy of the United States
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