US Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, has sparked controversy over his vaccine policy agenda, including removing Covid-19 shots from recommended vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women and voting to stop the use of thimerosal as a preservative in flu vaccines.
Several state legislatures are trying to safeguard access to lifesaving vaccinations in the event of changes to federal guidelines.
Centrist and conservative states may encounter opposition from Republicans on such issues.
This comes as state insurance agencies are giving themselves the authority to reinstate previous guidelines in order to offer protection for preventive care if federal policy shifts.
There is uncertainty among insurers as to whether they will continue to cover the cost of routine vaccinations if federal guidelines are relaxed.
