The Northeast Public Health Collaborative has formed working groups to identify opportunities for states to share emergency public health planning and response resources.

As a key vaccine panel under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meets to discuss disrupting the childhood vaccine schedule Thursday, Pennsylvania health officials are sharing more information about how the state could respond to ongoing federal changes.

Pennsylvania has joined seven other states and New York City in a voluntary public health partnership that will share vaccine recommendations, data collection, infectious disease management and laboratory services, according to an announcement from the state health department.

"Protecting public health has always been a collaborative effort and that joint work has never been more important," said Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen. "We respect the role public health professionals play in keeping our commonwealth safe and will continue to back science in our efforts to ensure Pennsylvanians can make the best health care decisions for themselves and their families."

The state formally announced the coalition -- which WESA first reported earlier this week -- in a press release Thursday.

"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," the health department said in the release.

The Northeast Public Health Collaborative has formed working groups to identify opportunities for states to share emergency public health planning and response resources as well as vaccine recommendations and purchasing. The group's first formal guidance advises health care workers on necessary precautions to take to protect themselves and their patients during the respiratory virus season.

An earlier initiative focused on shared emergency preparedness among Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey, where several FIFA World Cup games were held this summer.