California Attorney General Rob Bonta, together with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, has filed a multistate lawsuit challenging changes to the federal childhood immunization schedule introduced by the Trump Administration. The legal action, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, names Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya, and their agencies as defendants.
The complaint contests a January 5, 2026 “Decision Memo” from the CDC that removed universal recommendations for seven childhood vaccines, including those for rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A and B, influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. It also disputes Secretary Kennedy’s replacement of all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which has long shaped U.S. vaccine policy.
“The Trump Administration’s attacks on science are irresponsible and dangerous. Undermining confidence in vaccines will lead to lower vaccination rates and more infectious disease. It will also drive-up costs for states, including increased Medicaid spending and new expenses to combat misinformation and revise public health guidance,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Public health decisions must remain grounded in truth and facts. That’s why, for the 59th time, I’m taking the Trump Administration to court. My fellow attorneys general and I cannot sit on the sidelines while lives are put at risk and our laws are broken.”
Governor Gavin Newsom added: “California is going back to court because the Trump Administration is violating federal law and pushing a reckless, unscientific childhood vaccine schedule that puts kids’ lives at risk. These changes ignore decades of medical evidence and will lead to outbreaks of diseases we’ve already beaten. We will not stand by while politics overrides science and endangers our children. Just as we’ve done before, we’re standing up — alongside 14 other states — to defend the law, protect public health, and keep our kids safe.”
Routine childhood vaccinations have been estimated by researchers to prevent hundreds of millions of illnesses and save over a million lives among children born between 1994 and 2023 in the United States.
The ACIP is a federal advisory board responsible for developing vaccine recommendations that become official CDC policy once approved by its director. Its makeup is supposed to be balanced under federal law. However, after dismissing all existing members via an announcement published June 9, 2025 in a Wall Street Journal opinion column titled “HHS Moves to Restore Public Trust in Vaccines,” Secretary Kennedy appointed new members—many without required expertise or professional qualifications—and did not follow procedures such as issuing Federal Register notice or ensuring scientific qualifications as required.
On December 5, 2025 these newly appointed ACIP members voted to reverse longstanding CDC policy recommending universal administration of hepatitis B vaccine at birth—a move criticized by plaintiffs who argue it undermines established medical standards.
The lawsuit seeks court intervention to declare both the revised immunization schedule and ACIP appointments unlawful.
In response to these federal changes, Governor Newsom announced formation of the West Coast Health Alliance to provide coordinated public communications about vaccination policies.
Attorney General Bonta leads California’s chief law enforcement office according to its official website, which also promotes transparency through resources like OpenJustice and advances policies on civil rights and public safety across California as outlined in state government structure. The office operates statewide with authority over enforcement initiatives related to consumer protection and environmental justice.
Attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin along with Pennsylvania’s governor joined California and Arizona in filing this legal challenge.
