Create Texas Health Alliance to Counter RFK Jr.’s Anti-Science Agenda

I urge you to take immediate action to protect Texas's public health by forming or joining a multi-state alliance similar to the West Coast Health Alliance of California, Oregon, and Washington. This alliance coordinates evidence-based vaccine recommendations independent of the politicized CDC under RFK Jr.'s leadership. Texas cannot risk following Florida's dangerous path; it has announced plans to eliminate all school vaccine mandates, becoming the first state to abandon this critical public health tool. We must support scientific guidance, not conspiracy theories and misinformation. Texas is in a unique position to lead in scientific integrity. Our state hosts the largest medical complex globally, the Texas Medical Center, with over 106,000 employees and more clinical trials than any other US site. We are home to MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor Scott & White, Texas's most extensive non-profit healthcare system, with over 1,400 active research protocols, and leading institutions like UT Health and Rice University. Our healthcare infrastructure represents billions in economic investment and decades of scientific excellence. We cannot let federal misinformation and misconduct weaken this foundation. Vaccine exemption requests in Texas doubled from 45,900 in 2018 to over 93,000 in 2024, the highest in the nation, including 15,207 non-medical exemptions. Austin ISD's kindergarten MMR vaccination rate dropped from 96% to 79.6%, falling well below the 95% threshold needed for community immunity. Eight northeastern states are already coordinating vaccine policies through regional alliances. Texas must act now to prevent further declines in vaccination rates that protect our most vulnerable residents—infants, elderly Texans, and immunocompromised individuals. You have the authority to establish a Texas Public Health Alliance that collaborates with our major medical institutions to provide science-based vaccine guidance. Texas law already grants DSHS flexibility during public health emergencies, and you can leverage our state's medical expertise to counter federal misinformation. Partner with TMC, key health systems, and universities to develop independent, peer-reviewed vaccine recommendations. Strengthen support for the Texas Vaccines for Children program to ensure our children receive lifesaving immunizations regardless of federal chaos. Texas must prioritize truth over misinformation and conspiracy theories.