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 this spring as House Bill 637 and Senate Bill 385. The law took effect July 1 and gives Maryland’s health secretary authority to set state vaccine, screening, and preventive-care recommendations independent of federal agencies, grounding them instead in guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. It also requires state-regulated insurers to cover all state-recommended routine immunizations with no out-of-pocket cost, and lets pharmacists administer recommended vaccines to anyone age 3 or older without a prescription.
The law is a direct response to changes at the federal level. In January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — overhauled after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired its members and replaced them with new appointees critical of vaccines — cut the recommended routine childhood vaccine schedule from 18 vaccines down to 11. The American Academy of Pediatrics declined to participate in what it called an “illegitimate” ACIP meeting, and a federal judge stayed Kennedy’s committee appointments in March, ruling the process had “undermined the integrity” of the agency’s actions. Maryland’s own new schedule, by contrast, lists 18 childhood vaccines by age, aligning with the pre-overhaul standard rather than the federal government’s current one. Maryland joins California, Maine, Colorado, Massachusetts, and other states that have similarly moved to decouple their vaccine policy from federal guidance over the past year.
“We recognize Marylanders are facing back-to-school germs and the upcoming respiratory virus season, all while navigating shifting vaccine guidance from the federal government,” said Maryland Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani. “Through the Vax Act and our Maryland recommendations, we are reaffirming our commitment to high-quality, accessible care rooted in science and giving families peace of mind that essential vaccinations are safe and will remain affordable and available right in their communities.” Public Health Services Deputy Secretary Dr. Meg Sullivan added that the goal is “clear, clinically-backed information that allows both providers and residents to make the best health decisions for themselves and their families,” and encouraged residents to talk with their own healthcare providers about what’s right for them. Not everyone in Annapolis backed the approach: during the bill’s passage, Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey raised concerns about the financial and structural implications of shifting vaccine authority to the state.
The new recommendations cover COVID-19, flu, and RSV, along with routine immunizations like the combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and the hepatitis B birth dose. The guidance creates no new mandates, and Maryland’s existing school-entry vaccination requirements for preschool and K-12 students remain unchanged. More than 96% of Maryland kindergartners are consistently reported as vaccinated statewide. Uninsured or underinsured residents can access recommended vaccines at no cost through the Maryland Vaccines for Children Program and the Maryland Vaccine Program, including at community health centers the state expanded to in August.
