Cristin McCarthy Vahey

Dear Neighbors,

Public Health continues to remain in the news these days. From measles outbreaks and vaccines to Center for Disease Control governance, research funding, and the MAHA movement, there are many competing voices about who and what can help us keep ourselves and our family members healthy, safe, and strong. Today, I wanted to share some information about what has been happening at the national level related to vaccines, how that impacts Connecticut, and what we are doing this session in the public health committee to address vaccine access and affordability.

Since 1991, the state of Connecticut has tied the standards of care for vaccines for children to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Established in 1964, the ACIP has served as a body of experts on vaccine policy, using a rigorous Evidence to Recommendations Framework to make determinations about vaccine recommendations.

Last summer, current Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., unilaterally fired all 17 voting members of the ACIP, an action recently ruled illegal by a federal judge. He replaced those members with 8 individuals who have publicly shared their skepticism regarding vaccines. The Secretary announced that the targeted diseases for children would go from 17 to 11 and the number of routine vaccines from 13 to 7.

Like 30 other states, Connecticut has since moved to following the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended schedule for childhood vaccination. This schedule was endorsed by 2,300 organizations led by 12 major medical and professional organizations representing over 1 million healthcare providers.

The resulting uncertainty and confusion led the Governor, Department of Public Health (DPH), and Public Health Committee, which I co-chair, to seek to establish a clear standard of care and recommended vaccine schedule for Connecticut residents. This will ensure the ability to continue purchasing and covering the vaccinations Connecticut residents want and need. The effect of this bill will be to maintain the status quo that currently exists here in Connecticut when it comes to vaccine choice.

Why is this important? With the highest kindergarten measles vaccination rate in the nation, Connecticut was the last state to see a measles case. When it did happen, there was containment, rather than the rapid spread we have seen in places like South Carolina and Texas. In the United States, there were 59 measles cases in 2023, 285 in 2024, 2281 in 2025, and as of the end of February, already 1316 cases this year. The measles and other childhood vaccinations prevent disease. Vaccinations prevent the risk of serious complications, hospitalization, and even death.

This year we are seeking to pass House Bill 5044 – An Act Establishing Connecticut Vaccine Standards or Senate Bill 450 – An Act Concerning the Standard of Care for Immunization. The two bills have identical language and do the following:

• Requires the Department of Public Health Commissioner to establish the standards of care for immunization for both adults and children, taking into consideration ACIP, AAP, and other professional organizations. This is not a list of mandated vaccines, but a clear set of recommendations, something the Commissioner has done for many years for children. The bill adds her ability to set the standard and make recommendations for adults.
• Allows the DPH to purchase vaccines included in the CT standard of care rather than just those recommended by the ACIP. Currently, Connecticut may purchase vaccines for the Connecticut Vaccine Program from the CDC only IF they are recommended by ACIP.
• Allows the DPH Commissioner to adopt regulations for nursing homes regarding respiratory viral disease. Currently, nursing home residency requires the pneumonia and flu vaccines, with both medical and religious exemptions available. Through a regulatory process approved by the bipartisan legislative Regulations Review Committee, the commissioner may add a respiratory virus vaccine, such as the RSV vaccine, to the list of required vaccines. She may temporarily add this nursing home vaccination requirement before it is approved by the Regulations Review Committee.
• In order to add or delete any vaccine requirements from the School Vaccination schedule, the Commissioner still needs to go through the Regulations Review Committee process. No temporary permissions are available to change these requirements, and there are no new vaccines mandated. Medical exemptions to the school vaccine schedule are permitted if granted by a licensed medical provider, but religious exemptions are not. Religious exemptions were eliminated in 2021. The original version of the bill had deleted the Regulations Review requirement, but the Public Health Committee amended the bill to restore that step.
• During a declared public health emergency, the Governor may allow the Commissioner to issue a standing order to allow medical interventions, including vaccines. The bill has specific language that says this "does not require any individual to receive or utilize such medical intervention."
• Establishes an adult vaccine program for uninsured and underinsured adults through free clinics or municipal health authorities. Again, there is no mandate, but increased access for adults to afford the vaccinations they choose.
• Requires both group and individual insurance policies to cover vaccines recommended within the DPH standard of care, and not simply the CDC / ACIP standard of care.
• Continues to allow pharmacists to prescribe and administer vaccines to adults age 18 and older and to youth 12-17 with parental permission. Clarifies that they may administer all vaccinations within the DPH standards of care.
• Provides that the state Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not apply to the school immunization requirements for public and private schools, including higher education, and family and group childcare centers. This effectively retains the elimination of the religious exemption passed by the legislature in 2021.

As has always been the case, your pediatrician or primary care provider is the first and best source of information regarding vaccinations for you and your family members. The following are sources of information relied upon by many in the public health community:
https://vaxintegrity.cidrap.umn.edu/communications/viewpoints
https://www.kff.org/data-collections/vaccinations/
https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/immunizations/?srsltid=AfmBOooU5WZMYZcBzD2K8at-jvElNcIjYMCuaaATp8o2-nCe1O7d2Kff
                 
If you have made it this far, thank you for taking the time to find out what is actually in the proposed legislation rather than relying on what you may have heard about the bill. When the nonpartisan legal Bill Analysis, a plain language summary of the bill, becomes available, I will share that with you. If you have questions about the bills, current or proposed vaccine policy, or any other item being discussed by the legislature, please reach out. Thank you for your engagement.

As always, please feel free to reach out directly with your ideas, questions, or concerns. You can reach me by phone at (860) 240-8585 or (203) 522-3037.

Take care,

Cristin McCarthy Vahey