More importantly, he said, those states are adhering to the evidence.
“Whereas what is happening at HHS is … a lot of opinions, particularly from RFK Jr. himself, on unproven therapeutics, on risks that are not borne out by the data. And then he’s sort of just hand-waving and doing whatever he wants,” Karan said.
In June, Kennedy removed all 17 members of an advisory committee that helps the CDC form its vaccine policies to begin to “restore public trust in vaccines.”
Dr. John Swartzberg, professor emeritus of infectious diseases and vaccinology at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, said that by following the advice of leading medical groups, California and the other states of the West Coast Alliance are making it easier for families to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19.
“When you look at the data for very young children in terms of hospitalization and death, the rates are pretty comparable to older Americans,” Swartzberg said. “This is a vulnerable population where protection is terribly important. So I think that the California Department of Public Health, in following the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is spot on.”
Swartzberg said it is interesting to note that President Donald Trump even pushed back on Kennedy’s anti-vax stance in the last few days. Trump even expressed some skepticism about Florida’s push to phase out all childhood vaccine mandates.
“I think there are people in the administration who recognize that this is a hot button item, and all the Republicans are not really on board with where Kennedy is, so that might translate into the administration not trying to make a political football out of this with California,” he said. “We are very fortunate here in California. We have a department of health that is science-based and really solid.”
Who can get a new COVID vaccine right now?
The updated 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccines are currently available at CVS, Walgreens and Safeway pharmacies in California.
(Pharmacies take their cue from the federal government, not the states, so they’ve always been the first places that COVID-19 vaccines roll out — before shots become more widely available through providers and public health authorities.)
These pharmacy appointments are only available to people who, during the online booking process, say they are either:
- Age 65 and older
- Have a health condition that could make someone at higher risk from COVID-19.
But what counts as “high risk”? To find out if you or a family member might qualify, you can consult the CDC’s current list of health conditions that potentially put you at higher risk of severe illness, hospitalization or death from COVID-19, which includes cancer, chronic lung, kidney and liver disease and certain disabilities. However, it also encompasses other factors like mental health conditions — including depression — obesity and being a current or former smoker.
When listing some of these conditions, CVS’s online appointment also suggests “any other conditions or situations that place you at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 (consult your pharmacist or medical provider if you need help).”
Confused about where to get a COVID-19 vaccine? Read KQED’s recent explainer: Where Can I Find the New 2025–26 COVID Vaccine Near Me? And What if I’m Not Eligible?
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