Connecticut, along with several neighboring states and New York City, announced on Thursday the establishment of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a coalition that will “promote and protect evidence-based public health” by collaborating on issues like vaccine recommendations and infectious disease management. The partnership marks the latest move by states to take charge of public health at the state and regional level in the face of uncertainty over federal public health policy under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.“In a time of significant change in public health, we have benefited from the enhanced collaborations between our jurisdictions. We are confident that we will preserve and protect core public health principles and services as we navigate current changes together,” Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani stated in a Thursday announcement. The work of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative is already underway. The group held its first informal in-person meeting in August and has already formed working groups to address several high-priority issues, including public health emergency preparedness, vaccine recommendations and purchasing, and data collection and analysis.