PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Josh Shapiro on Wednesday signed an executive order creating a Pennsylvania version of "Vaccines for Children," in case the federal program is reduced or eliminated.
The order comes in response to recent moves by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.
Shapiro signed the order at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in a room full of doctors who welcomed the measures. He said the federal Vaccines for Children program provided immunizations for 1.5 million Pennsylvania children but the coverage is based on recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Recently, Kennedy replaced vaccine experts on ACIP with vaccine skeptics, who've changed guidance on COVID-19 shots and restricted the widely-used MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccine.
“I know we're all worried about RFK's hand-picked folks on ACIP imposing further restrictions on vaccines that have proven life-saving for our kids, so we are preparing right now,” said the governor.
“I want trained professionals who know science to guide you. I do not want you to be guided by someone like RFK, who I believe is wholly unqualified to give medical advice and who is restricting our freedoms.”
The governor also noted Pennsylvania is one of the nation’s top vaccine production sites, with about 4,700 people employed in an industry that adds nearly $5 billion to the state’s economy.
Shapiro's executive order not only creates a state version of Vaccines for Children, it also makes sure private insurers and Medicaid plans cover them, aligns state guidance with medical experts, creates a hub for vaccine data and provides the data to interested organizations such as schools and senior centers.
“We are providing clarity in an area where Washington has tried to sow chaos,” he said. “Our health, our safety and our economy all depend on people having access to vaccines. Sadly, RFK Jr. and the president want to take that away — but hear me on this, they will not succeed.”