In a move to pull away from federal government policies, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore this week signed the Vax Act to allow the state to set its own vaccine recommendations.
The act gives more agency to the secretary of the Maryland Department of Health, allowing the state to declare immunization and screening recommendations based on scientific findings starting July 1. Under the act, all vaccines recommended by the state will be covered by insurance beginning on Jan. 1.
Maryland pharmacies will also be able to administer more vaccines under the legislation, creating greater accessibility to the recommended public health guidelines.
The act comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. moved to cut parts of the federal government’s pediatric vaccination recommendations, criticizing their scientific basis.
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., expressed his support for the passage of the Vax Act, rebutting Kennedy’s actions in a statement to Capital News Service.
“For decades, Americans have been able to trust that vaccine guidance from our public health agencies was rooted in evidence-based science, not politics. But RFK Jr. and his cronies are destroying that trust by purposely removing experts and injecting conspiracy theories,” the Democratic senator wrote.
“It is vital that our state is stepping up to provide science-based recommendations that will empower Marylanders to make the most informed health care decisions for themselves and their families,” the statement read.
Healthcare officials throughout the state are also expressing their support for the new legislation.
Jessica Dean Murphy, legislative chair for Maryland’s chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, testified in front of the Maryland General Assembly in support of the act.
“Despite all of the changes that are going on federally with the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), it is really important that we continue to follow the recommendations from the (American Academy of Pediatrics) and the previous CDC recommendations,” she told CNS. “We’re really excited that Gov. Moore made this a priority for his session.”
Murphy also told CNS that this act will benefit the high-risk groups who rely on others to be vaccinated.
“I take care of children with cancer, and so those patients cannot be vaccinated,” she said. “There’s a period of months to years that these children rely on the rest of the community to be vaccinated. So we were doing a disservice to not only those kids but little babies and people that can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons.”
She said it was “frustrating” to see officials, like Kennedy, go against prior scientifically backed recommendations.
The HHS secretary – who is known for his strong opposition to vaccination requirements – appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Thursday morning.
As members of Congress criticized his lack of faith in childhood immunization requirements, he scrolled on his phone.
When pressed on his stance on vaccines during the hearing, he blamed lawmakers for relying on misinformation, claiming the United States handles epidemics better than anyone.
Medical professionals and lawmakers expressed their support for the new act.
Maryland Sen. Clarence Lam, a Democratic representative for Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, said some of his constituents are worried about the direction of the federal health policies.
“I think it is important to make sure that we continue to support science-based policy,” he told CNS. “And so for me as a physician, it was important to be able to support this piece of legislation to uphold what we believe are really important policies.”
Despite the widespread support across Maryland for the Vax Act, one Howard County resident said she wants the right to choose whether or not she has to vaccinate her child.
“I think the very existence of [this act] is kind of an insult to the intelligence of citizens,” Susan Dreisch said. “Every new legislation that’s signed [is] trying to take away people’s right to make decisions for themselves and their family.”
During her interview with CNS, Dreisch also sided with Kennedy’s argument that vaccines can cause autism.
Sen. Lam said the act does not place a requirement on vaccinations, but allows greater access and more recommendations instead.
“If an individual chooses not to get a vaccine, that’s their choice,” he explained. “But we also want to make sure that those who choose to get a vaccine are not hindered by some of the chaotic policies coming out of the federal government.”