Oregon Sues Trump Administration After Vaccine Rollback as Measles and Whooping Cough Surge
Oregon, with a coalition of 14 other states, filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s radical overhaul of the nation’s childhood immunization schedule, amid record preventable measles and whooping cough outbreaks.
Oregon Sues Trump Administration Over Vaccinations
Oregon state health officials declared a measles outbreak last week, and most confirmed cases were linked to unvaccinated individuals.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and the coalition filed a lawsuit yesterday against Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the HHS and CDC.
A January 5, 2026, CDC “Decision Memo” removed the universally recommended status of seven childhood illnesses- protecting against rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
| Illness | Vaccine on CDC schedule | Typical start age | Quick note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis B | HepB | Birth | Series continues in infancy |
| Rotavirus | RV | 2 months | 2 or 3 dose series |
| Hepatitis A | HepA | 12 months | 2 dose series in toddler years |
| Influenza | Flu vaccine | 6 months | Annual vaccination |
| COVID 19 | COVID 19 vaccines | See CDC notes | Guidance varies by product and risk |
| RSV | RSV mAb (nirsevimab) | Infancy / first season | Depends on maternal RSV vaccination status |
| Meningococcal disease | MenACWY | 11 to 12 years | Booster at 16 years |
This was not based on any new scientific evidence, any recommendation by a lawfully constituted ACIP, or any systematic review of the available data.
The lawsuit alleges RFK Jr. and CDC bypassed federal law, ignored scientific evidence, and endangered children by gutting recommended childhood vaccines, and preventable diseases are returning as the federal government undermines public confidence in proven vaccines.
AG Rayfield said, “In Oregon, we’re already seeing the consequences of the federal government’s reckless actions and vaccine narrative.” He added, “We must trust science, trust doctors, and protect our children.”
The lawsuit challenges the decision to strip vaccines as well as the unlawful replacement of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)- the expert federal panel that has guided U.S. vaccine policy for decades.
RFK Jr abruptly fired all seventeen ACIP voting members and replaced them with individuals who lack the scientific qualifications required by ACIP’s own charter and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) in June 2025.
The majority of new members have publicly expressed views aligned with Kennedy’s oft-espoused opposition to vaccines.
The coalition is asking the court to declare the Kennedy Schedule and the Kennedy ACIP appointments unlawful, and to enjoin, vacate, and set aside both the new immunization schedule and the unlawful appointments.
Oregon Measles And Whooping Cough Cases Reach Record Levels
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) indicated that Oregon’s kindergarten nonmedical vaccine exemption rate reached a record 9.7% in the 2024-2025 school year. As exemptions rose, the state also logged a record 1,475 pertussis (whooping cough) cases in 2025, with health officials warning that higher exemptions can weaken community immunity and raise outbreak risk.
Source: Oregon Health Authority ERD releases on school exemptions (May 15 2025), pertussis record (Dec 10 2025), and measles outbreak update (Feb 19 2026)
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OHA said these declining rates raise the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in schools, especially in communities with lower immunization coverage.
The record-high 1,475 reported cases of pertussis broke the state’s all-time annual record of 1,420, set in 1950.
In addition, the increase in nonmedical exemptions weakens community immunity, creating opportunities for outbreaks of serious diseases that vaccines had almost eradicated.