Colorado Vaccine Policy: State Defies CDC Under RFK Jr.

Colorado has moved to establish independent authority over vaccine recommendations, separating state public health guidance from federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directives. This legislative action comes amid significant changes to federal vaccine policy under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. State officials say the measure is designed to ensure residents maintain access to immunizations based on established scientific consensus, even as federal recommendations shift.

The Colorado state legislature has passed a bill that allows the state to seek scientific sources for vaccine guidance besides the CDC, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics. The legislation also grants pharmacists the authority to prescribe and administer vaccines on their own. According to reporting from NPR and Colorado Public Radio, the bill has cleared the legislature and goes to Governor Jared Polis, who is expected to sign it into law.

This policy shift represents a broader trend among Democratic-led states reacting to the Trump administration’s changes to public health infrastructure. While Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Continues to overhaul federal vaccine policy, states are setting up new systems to assess science and maintain immunization access. Colorado has been at the front of this wave, having started to revamp its vaccine policies in the spring of 2025.

Federal Changes and State Responses

The push for state autonomy follows actions taken by federal appointees under Secretary Kennedy. According to reporting, appointees removed some childhood vaccines from the federal recommendation list, including shots for hepatitis B, flu, and RSV. Secretary Kennedy has stated that vaccines remain available and covered by insurance, though he acknowledged changes might result in fewer people receiving certain shots.

We’re not taking vaccines away from anybody. If you want to get the vaccine, you can get it. It’s going to be fully covered by insurance, just like it was before.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

When asked if the changes might mean fewer people get the flu shot, Secretary Kennedy suggested it could be beneficial.

Well, that may be. And maybe that’s a better thing.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Major medical groups dispute this assessment. Dr. Sean O’Leary, chairman of an infectious disease panel for the American Academy of Pediatrics, warned that more people will get sick if vaccination rates drop. Colorado has joined other states to sue over the changes the CDC made. A federal judge paused major changes Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has been making to vaccine policy earlier this week.

A Multi-State Collaborative Effort

Colorado is not acting alone. Four western states — California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington — have created a collaborative to preserve access to vaccines. Several northeastern states are considering a similar alliance. These changes represent a significant shift in public health authority from the federal government to the states. Traditionally, states have looked to the CDC for expertise and guidance on public health issues, including workplace safety, water fluoridation, vaping, and sexually transmitted infections.

Other states have implemented specific regulatory changes to bypass federal hurdles. New York’s governor declared a statewide disaster emergency that allows pharmacists to give COVID-19 vaccines without a separate prescription. Minnesota made a similar change. Massachusetts is requiring insurance carriers to pay for vaccines recommended by its health department, not only those recommended by the CDC.

In Colorado, state officials issued a standing order on September 3, 2025, to let pharmacists provide COVID shots without individual prescriptions. Governor Jared Polis emphasized the state’s commitment to access.

I will not allow ridiculous and costly red tape or decisions made far away in Washington to keep Coloradans from accessing vaccines.

Gov. Jared Polis

Personal Stories and Political Debate

The policy changes are driven by both public health officials and personal advocates. A new group called Colorado Chooses Vaccines popped up in 2025. Former Denver City Council member Carol Boigon joined the group to share her story. Boigon grew up in Detroit, and in 1953, polio was rampant. She contracted the disease at age 5.

Every summer, everybody got sick. And one summer, it was my turn not just to get sick but to get disabled from it.

Carol Boigon

Boigon noted that none of her limbs worked immediately afterwards, and her right arm never fully recovered. She observed that the vaccine arrived just one year after she got sick, changing the landscape of public health. She expressed concern about the current trajectory of vaccine policy.

It’s like we’re going backwards. It’s like we have decided we don’t want a modern life. We want to be back in the 1950s, where children are sick and dying.

Carol Boigon

Dr. Sean O’Leary, who helped found the Colorado coalition, said the aim is to motivate more people who support vaccines to speak out, including everyday parents, teachers, and business owners.

The folks who don’t really think about immunizations all that often. I think what we’re doing here with the coalition is really creating a broader tent.

Dr. Sean O’Leary

The legislation has sparked political debate within the state. State Senator Kyle Mullica, a co-sponsor of the bill, argued for state independence from federal dysfunction.

We are insulating our state from the dysfunction coming out of Washington. In this state, we’re going to rely on science.

State Senator Kyle Mullica

However, Republicans have come out against the bill. State Senator John Carson expressed concern about the potential for political conflict.

I just want to make sure we’re not just getting into a big political dispute between the federal recommendations, the CDC and so forth, and different political views in Colorado here.

State Senator John Carson

As the bill moves to the governor’s desk, the focus remains on maintaining immunization access for residents. The changes reflect a growing reliance on state health departments and medical academies rather than federal agencies for public health guidance. This story was produced in partnership with KFF Health News.