Gov. Wes Moore is calling on the state assembly to give the state Department of Health the authority to issue official recommendation concerning immunizations, screenings and preventative services.
Moore said on Thursday that the need for this Vax Act “is a direct response to the Trump-Vance Administration’s efforts to discourage access to vaccines and undermine trust in vaccine science.”
The act also decouples the state’s vaccine authority from that of all federal government bodies, thereby allowing the state health secretary to only consider federal guidance as elective.
“The federal government’s rapid shifts and the unnecessary confusion surrounding vaccine policy put public health at risk. In Maryland, we will continue to protect our people by ensuring our guidance is driven by proven science, not political headwinds,” Moore said in a news release. “Our legislation reflects a simple belief: access to lifesaving medicines like vaccines is essential to the health and safety of every Marylander.”
The federal government recently overhauled the vaccine schedule for children, decreasing the number of recommended routine vaccines “despite a lack of transparency into the review process and a lack of substantive evidence,” Moore said.
Previously, Maryland legislators passed legislation that ensures that insurance providers continue to cover the cost of all vaccines as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The state also expanded vaccination authority for pharmacists, allowing them to administer flu and COVID vaccines without a prescription to anyone three years and older.
“Vaccines remain one of the most powerful public health tools that we have to protect Marylanders and our communities against severe illness and preventable disease,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani. “Immunization is a core public health priority for Maryland, and we will continue to have Marylanders’ backs by providing them with guidance and recommendations grounded in rigorous, evidence-based science.”
