This story was first published at Colorado Newsline.
DENVER | The Colorado Senate approved a bill Thursday that would allow the state to rely on vaccine recommendations from sources other than the federal government, one month after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reduced the number of routinely recommended childhood immunizations.
“Science matters. The fact is vaccines are safe and effective,” bill Sponsor Sen. Kyle Mullica, a Thornton Democrat and emergency room nurse, said. “This bill is a response to dysfunction coming out of Washington, D.C. That’s not political.”
Under Senate Bill 26-32, the state would be able to adopt vaccine guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Physicians.
It comes after the CDC shifted six vaccines for illnesses such as rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis and seasonal flu from a category recommended for all children to categories for high-risk groups and based on “shared clinical decision making.” The switch did not have input from experts on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and largely relied on a review of other countries’ practices, such as Denmark, rather than new data and science.
One day after the CDC change, Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment started recommending the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine schedule. The AAP called the federal change “dangerous and unnecessary” and said it will continue to make evidence-based recommendations.
The Colorado bill does not add any vaccine mandates and it maintains exemption policies.
“What this bill does is makes sure we insulate ourselves as a state when it comes to public health and makes sure that when we’re looking at our vaccine schedule, we have the ability to look at things outside of what they’re doing in Washington, D.C.,” Mullica said.
The bill was also sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Daugherty, an Arvada Democrat. It passed the Senate during third and final reading on a 20-12 vote along party lines.
Colorado law has historically relied on federal guidelines. An increasing number of states are moving away from that practice, however, as the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demonstrate skepticism over the safety and necessity of vaccines administered to babies and children.
“Recent, abrupt federal shifts have created uncertainty for Colorado parents and confusion for providers,” Dr. Edwin Asturias, a pediatric infectious disease professor at the Colorado School of Public Health, said during the bill’s committee hearing last week. “Vaccine recommendations are no longer stable, and as a result, vaccine rates are falling. We’ve already seen the consequences this year — flu season, the worst in 25 years, has taken the lives of 32 children nationwide, including three here in Colorado.”
The bill would also explicitly allow pharmacists to prescribe and administer vaccines.
During floor debate, Republicans said they were concerned that the bill would inadvertently create a state-level benefit for vaccines, an expense the state cannot afford given its current budget constraints. Senators approved an amendment clarifying that if Colorado does not get federal funds to implement its vaccine program, the general fund shortfall will be addressed through the typical annual budgeting process. Even with the amendment, no Republican voted in favor of the bill.
“Is this necessary? I don’t think it is at this time,” said Sen. John Carson, a Highlands Ranch Republican. “These six vaccines have not been banned. They have not been removed. It’s just a statement by the CDC that perhaps there should be some discussions and some delays with some families.”
Colorado was a founding member of the Governors Public Health Alliance in October. The organization is a counter to the Trump administration’s approach to public health.
I’ll never get the MAGA obsession with removing or ignoring science. I worked with research grants for years as a grant administrator. The adherence to the scientific method used in research at American Colleges and Universities is why we attract the best young minds from around the world to attend these institutions to learn and take part in the rigorous research that is supported by our tax dollars. No place on earth has a better atmosphere for the unvarnished truth that these research projects yield. That’s why CU developed the shingles vaccine that is currently recommended for adults. That’s why CU developed surgery techniques used in liver transplants. People have to understand that research is rooted in a two-step process. First, an hypothesis is developed and the data to prove or disprove the hypothesis is collected after testingvthe hypothesis in a lab. Second, the data is subjected to rigorous statistical analysis. A paper is then written to describe the findings. The paper is reviewed by peers. Other papers are written from other scientific projects studying the same or similar hypothesis. If the original project findings are verified by new studies, the original paper is cited. More citations reveal more support for the original project’s findings. We rely on these peer-reviewed findings to guide health decisions. This administration’s decision to ignore scientific findings and embrace unreplicated theories confounds the scientific community precisely because it follows no plan and no reason. This is not making America great, this is making America foolish and exposing our population to illnesses and the deaths that can result and are easy to avoid.
Mikey – You seem to have a good grasp on principles of science and scientific methods. Yet I am not sure whether the “final chapter has been written” when it comes to matters of health or safety of newer vaccines. Remember when scientists predicted the coming a future ice age in the 70’s, or that smoking cigarettes was healthy in the 50’s, or that old fashioned margarine full of pure trans-fats was healthier than butter, or how many times doctors have reversed themselves on hormone replacement for older women, or that the Covid vaccine was absolutely safe for everyone (it caused inflammation of heart tissues in some), etc. It is never wise to have absolute confidence. Things can seem true until shown to be mistaken. I too find some of the assertions of this administration very questionable. Time, and further research may tell.