Maryland Releases First Vaccine Guidelines Under New Vax Act for Upcoming Flu Season
The guidance covers COVID-19, flu and RSV shots, requires insurers to pay for routine vaccines, and lets pharmacists vaccinate people 3 and older.
- On Thursday, the Maryland Department released its 2026-27 vaccine recommendations, providing clear guidance ahead of the respiratory virus season. Maryland Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani said the state aims to eliminate confusion surrounding shifting federal vaccine policies.
- The Vax Act, passed earlier this year, allows Maryland to bypass federal health agencies; officials claim messaging from President Donald Trump regarding vaccine safety created confusion among residents.
- Pharmacists can administer vaccines to those ages 3 and older without a prescription, and state officials require insurers to cover recommended immunizations. These schedules align with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
- Amid measles outbreaks declared a few weeks ago in Cecil and Carroll counties, Public Health Services Deputy Secretary Dr. Meg Sullivan hopes the new guidelines will maintain Maryland's high vaccination rate of more than 96%.
- Sullivan urges families to plan for annual respiratory vaccines by the end of October, suggesting that timing as a "good target date." Maryland joins California, Oregon, and Hawaii in establishing independent vaccine schedules amid federal policy shifts.
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Maryland Issues First-Ever State Vaccine Guidelines
The Maryland Department of Health released its 2026-27 vaccine schedules for children and adults this week, the first time in state history Maryland has issued its own independent vaccine guidance rather than relying on federal recommendations. The recommendations come under the Vax Act, signed by Gov. Wes Moore in April after passing the General Assembly […]
Maryland issues its own vaccine guidelines for first time under Vax Act
For the first time in its history, Maryland is issuing its own statewide vaccine recommendations for children and adults, a move state health officials say is intended to preserve access to vaccines amid shifting federal guidance.
State health officials issue vaccine schedule amid ongoing shifts in federal vaccine guidance
Maryland health officials issued a first-ever state vaccine schedule Thursday ahead of the annual flu and respiratory illness season, under a new policy created to buck anti-vaccine messaging from the Trump administration in recent years.
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