Bill would create powerful Minnesota vaccine advisory council

A Minnesota Senate bill set for hearing Thursday would create a new state vaccine advisory council and expand which immunizations health insurers must cover, changes that would directly affect how Twin Cities residents get and pay for vaccines. The council, made up of "trusted" scientists, clinicians and public‑health leaders from groups like the Minnesota Medical Association, AAP, nurses and pharmacists, would meet quarterly in public and send vaccine‑schedule recommendations to the health commissioner. The commissioner would normally have final say, but if two‑thirds of the council votes to override, its recommendations would take effect for at least six months, effectively letting outside experts overrule MDH on vaccine policy. The bill also requires health plans to cover vaccines recommended not just by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, but also by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the West Coast Health Alliance, aiming to plug gaps caused by recent federal "uncertainty" over vaccine guidance. Major systems including Allina, Fairview, Children’s Minnesota and the Minnesota Hospital Association are backing the bill, citing falling childhood vaccination rates since 2020 and recent measles and pertussis outbreaks as reasons to lock in broad, evidence‑based coverage.