Maine, Northeastern States Formally Announce Northeast Public Health Collaborative

Regional partnership of public health agencies and leaders will share expertise, improve coordination, and promote and protect evidence-based public health

Several Northeastern states -- including Maine -- and America's largest city have been collaborating since early 2025 and today formally announced the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, said Governor Janet Mills.

The Collaborative is a voluntary, regional coalition of public health agencies and leaders from seven states and New York City, brought together to share expertise, improve coordination, enhance capacity, strengthen regional readiness, and promote and protect evidence-based public health.

The Collaborative's shared purpose is to work together in new ways -- optimizing the use of shared resources, innovating and reimagining core services -- to ensure trust in public health, respond to public health threats, advance community health, and strengthen confidence in vaccines and science-based medicine. The group's shared goal is to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all residents by providing information based on science, data, and evidence, while working to ensure equitable access to vaccines, medications and services.

"As the Trump Administration politicizes and undermines our nation's public health system, our state will work closely with our neighbors to promote and protect the health and wellbeing of Maine people," said Governor Mills.

"The people of Maine are known for their resilience, neighborly support, and a collaborative approach to solving community challenges. This spirit is evident in the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, which serves as an incubator for solutions in public health. By working together, we can build a more adaptable, sustainable, and resilient public health framework for the region," said Maine CDC Director, Dr. Puthiery Va.

The regional partnership, which was informally established several months ago, held its first in-person meeting in Rhode Island in August. The Collaborative has formed interjurisdictional working groups to identify opportunities for collaboration and shared planning across multiple public health disciplines including public health emergency preparedness and response, vaccine recommendations and purchasing, data collection and analysis, infectious disease, epidemiology, and laboratory capacity and services.

Maine is actively involved in the direction and governance of the Collaborative and contributes to working groups on immunization and public health preparedness and response. Members of the Collaborative have worked together on science-based guidance for health care personnel (HCP) advising on precautions health care workers should take to protect themselves and patients during respiratory virus season. Other examples of collaborative efforts include sharing information on public health emergency preparedness, exploring workforce pipeline activities given the understaffing in public health, and coordinating state lab related activities and services.

While the Collaborative members share common public health goals and objectives, each state retains independence to adopt initiatives that align with their populations, laws, objectives, and regulatory requirements.

Last week, Governor Mills announced that, at her direction, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) has issued a standing order (PDF) authorizing qualified health care professionals -- including pharmacists -- to administer the 2025- 2026 COVID-19 vaccine. The standing order serves as a prescription for all Maine people, allowing them to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at pharmacies, clinics, and health care offices across the state.

The Mills Administration's actions come as the Trump Administration, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., restrict access to vaccines and undermine the nation's public health infrastructure.