California’s New Vaccine Law Shields Providers — While Leaving Injured Families With No Remedy

California’s New Vaccine Law Shields Providers — While Leaving Injured Families With No Remedy

In 2025, California lawmakers, with the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom, enacted AB 144 — a sweeping statute that dramatically expands the authority of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Public debate has focused on how the law freezes outdated CDC guidance and empowers CDPH to operate a parallel, state-run vaccine policy and enforcement framework with minimal public oversight. But buried within AB 144 is another serious probl…