(Reuters) -U.S. states of California, Oregon and Washington said on Wednesday they have launched a new health alliance to provide unified vaccine recommendations amid growing tensions over federal immunization policies and public health directives.

Under the West Coast Health Alliance, the states said they will make joint recommendations on who should receive vaccines, informed by national medical associations even if they diverge from federal guidance.

Typically, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a federal advisory body to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, advises on who should receive vaccines and at what intervals after the Food and Drug Administration approval.

“ACIP remains the scientific body guiding immunization recommendations in this country,

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