In a clear rebuke of recent federal health policy, 15 Democratic governors announced today (October 16th) they’ve formed a public health alliance that breaks with guidance from the Trump administration and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

It’s the largest move by states to diverge from recent policy decisions under Kennedy that have alarmed medical and public health experts, from federal funding cuts for health services to changes to vaccine guidance.

The participating governors are from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington, as well as the U.S. territory of Guam.

“This alliance is a commitment to transparency, preparedness, and coordination so that no state faces health threats alone,” Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said in a statement.

“By working together, governors can share data, resources, and lessons learned to strengthen our preparedness for the next public health challenge.”

The new Governors Public Health Alliance is intended to strengthen collaboration among the states in emergency preparedness and communication, to help them share data and expertise, and to improve response times to health threats. Although the participating governors are all Democrats, they’re billing the coalition as nonpartisan.

The new alliance comes on the heels of previous regional coordination efforts such as the West Coast Health Alliance between California, Oregon and Washington.

In recent months, at least 17 states have sidestepped federal guidance and promoted broader access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Those moves came in the wake of new COVID-19 vaccine guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, both under the leadership of Kennedy, a well-known vaccine skeptic.

“As extremists try to weaponize the CDC and spread misinformation, we’re stepping up to coordinate across states, protect communities and ensure decisions are driven by data, facts, and the health of the American people,” California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

Meanwhile, major professional societies such as the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have released their own guidance that diverges from federal policy on a number of issues, from vaccines to autism.

The new Governors Public Health Alliance will be supported by the nonprofit Governors Action Alliance, or GovAct, an initiative overseen by a group of former governors that include both Republicans and Democrats.

Stateline reporter Anna Claire Vollers can be reached at avollers@stateline.org.This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Nebraska Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.