Connecticut announced a new regional partnership Thursday to combine multiple states’ public health expertise and resources. The partnership comes amid fall vaccine season and continued uncertainty at the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
The group is called the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. Dr. Manisha Juthani, Connecticut’s public health commissioner, said the group's goal is to “protect core public health principles and services” as the states navigate federal policy changes.
Eight health departments plan to collaborate on public health emergency preparedness, infectious disease, data analysis and lab work. They also plan to work together on vaccine recommendations and purchasing.
In a joint statement public health leaders say the group was informally established months ago.
"Pathogens know no borders," Juthani said in a statement. "In the Northeast, people cross borders daily for work and school."
The participating health departments from New England include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York State and New York City are also part of the coalition.
The collaboration comes on the heels of the federal government announcing new guidance in August that reversed a rule saying anyone 6 months and older could get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Under the new federal guidance, only people over 65 years old, or who have an underlying health condition, could get the vaccine.
Serveral states, including Connecticut, have since released their own guidance on the shots.
On Sept. 10, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont released interim guidance recommending that adults of any age, along with children aged 6 months and up, could get the COVID-19 shot in Connecticut.
The governor's office said in a statement that future legislation "may be needed within state statutes to ensure continued stability in the future, regardless of any potential shifts in positions from the federal government."
