SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday the launch of a new public health initiative, saying it is a response to what he described as growing attacks on truth and science.
The initiative, called the Public Health Network Innovation Exchange, or PHNIX, is described by the governor’s office as a California-led effort to modernize public health infrastructure and preserve trust in science-based decision-making.
PHNIX will be led by several former senior officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including former CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez, who was fired by President Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry, who resigned in protest following Monarez’s dismissal.
“We’re trying to just cut through all the B.S. that’s going on in Washington, D.C., and the vandalism and the wrecking ball on truth and trust,” Newsom said during a virtual news conference Monday.
During the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, Trump and HHS Secretary RFK Jr. questioned the necessity, effectiveness, and safety of several vaccines for different populations.
In June, Trump and Kennedy replaced all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices. Some of the newly appointed members are known vaccine skeptics.
Since then, the advisory committee dropped its recommendation that all Americans receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier this month, the panel also voted to stop recommending the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns, reversing guidance that had been in place for 30 years.
Kennedy has defended the changes, including his decision to fire Dr. Monarez, saying she disagreed with him on vaccine policy.
“We are the sickest country in the world. That’s why we have to fire people at CDC. They did not do their job,” Kennedy told federal lawmakers earlier this year.
Newsom said PHNIX was created directly in response to changes at the CDC under Trump and Kennedy.
“It’s not a shadow CDC we’re creating, but it’s a shield to what’s going on,” Newsom said. “There’s not a week that goes by where someone doesn’t come up and say, ‘I don’t know what to do with Hepatitis B being assaulted, all these vaccines — and measles is presenting itself anew.’ All the anxiety and confusion people are feeling. They ask, ‘What can we do?’ And this is exactly the answer. We can provide a platform to rebuild trust.”
According to the governor’s office, PHNIX experts will work alongside Newsom and the California Department of Public Health to drive innovation, strengthen collaboration among states and institutions, and improve how critical health information is communicated.
Speaking during the news conference, Dr. Monarez said, “California is investing and innovating now to build the public health systems that will protect lives, strengthen communities, and create a future in which all Californians can thrive.”
She added that she is “very concerned about any type of decision-making that is not predicated on science and data and evidence.”
Both Monarez and Newsom said the new initiative will remain grounded in scientific evidence and data-driven decision-making.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Leave a Reply