Kim Marie Thorburn: Washington state stepping up to protect public health

Last year, the Washington chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics recognized Dr. Edgar Marcuse, professor emeritus of pediatrics at University of Washington, with a lifetime achievement award for his dedication to eliminating vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. I worked with Dr. Marcuse on vaccine policy while I was Spokane’s health officer and state health board chair. He was also a member of the Center for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the time. His service to vaccine policy in both Washington and nationally still shines today.

Just as we enter the time of year that COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus start filling up emergency rooms, swelling school absenteeism, forcing sick time off work and even increasing mortality, the West Coast Health Alliance, an interstate compact among Washington, California, Oregon and Hawaii, released consensus recommendations for respiratory virus immunizations. The simple one-page document provides clear direction to public health and health care professionals about who should be vaccinated against these three respiratory viruses.

On the heels of the WCHA consensus statement came the chaotic meeting of Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s newly formed ACIP. It was the ACIP that we public health and health care professionals depended on for simple consensus guidance about vaccine recommendations and schedules. We could be confident that, while the direction was simply presented, the decisions that went into putting it together were based on expert, rigorous analysis of highly complex information and scientific studies. Sadly – no, frighteningly – that’s no longer the case, as the recent whacky ACIP meeting demonstrated.

Before the much-delayed fall meeting, Kennedy fired all members of the ACIP, including Dr. Helen Chu, distinguished UW professor of medicine and respiratory virus researcher, to replace them with like-minded vaccine conspiracists. He excused his health-endangering actions with denigrating comments that demeaned expert knowledge and alleged immoral motives. Contending corrupt self-interest by selfless Washingtonians like Drs. Marcuse and Chu is an ignoble charade to sow distrust.

Unlike many places in the nation, our region recently avoided a serious measles outbreak, in part through swift response by local hospital systems and public health agencies. Washington, like the rest of our nation, is threatened by falling vaccination rates fueled by disinformation that is now officially promulgated by Kennedy. Washington has not been so fortunate with pertussis (whooping cough), another vaccine preventable disease.

From 2019, vaccination coverage against whooping cough fell in the state from 73% to 65% and since early 2024, there has been a 25-fold increase in cases. Spokane’s whooping cough case rate is higher than the rest of the state and in February experienced the state’s first pertussis death since 2011. It is no wonder Washington’s exasperated Sen. Maria Cantwell called Kennedy a “charlatan ” at a recent hearing.

In early September, the Washington State Medical Association, leading a coalition of eight health organizations and public health nonprofits, settled a lawsuit against the DHHS that challenged Kennedy’s removal of many public health and scientific data websites. The settlement called for restoration of the websites that provide critical information for health care and public health professionals about such topics as the HIV epidemic, pregnancy risks, reproductive health care, LBGTQ+ care and opioid-use disorder - all issues that Spokane’s and Washington’s health care providers face daily.

A recent analysis by the George Washington University public health school estimated the proposed federal budget will result in a loss of over $57 million in CDC funding for Washington, resulting in a more than $82 million hit to the state’s GDP , cost 580 jobs and $3 million in local tax revenue. Kennedy’s cruel cuts eliminate drug and injury prevention programs that focus on lethal health concerns facing Washingtonians, especially our children and youth. Accidental overdose, suicide and homicide are the top causes of death of our residents under age 40 years. Rural northeastern Washington has some of the highest gun suicide rates in the country. Kennedy’s claim that he’s making children healthy by eliminating food coloring is more than cynical when loss of vital public health prevention programs means many Washington children won’t live long enough to develop the chronic diseases he touts he’s preventing.

The “charlatan ” Kennedy is wreaking full-scale, scorched -earth destruction of public health that threatens our region and state. The consequences of his vengeance may not be overcome for generations. I applaud our state and its public health and health care communities for stepping up.