Gov. Wes Moore moves to shield Maryland vaccine policy from federal changes
Maryland leaders push back over childhood vaccine changes
Maryland Governor Wes Moore introduced legislation this week to "decouple" Maryland from the U.S.'s official recommendation for childhood vaccine schedules.
WASHINGTON - Both elected officials – and thousands of doctors – are speaking out against what they call attacks on vaccines.
The backstory:
Monday, the federal government announced drastic changes to the childhood vaccine schedule. As a result, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that all children are vaccinated against 11 diseases.
"President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better. After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families and rebuilds trust in public health," U.S. Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a press release.
The other side:
Elected officials and medical professionals are voicing concern.
In Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore announced "the Vax Act" Thursday. The legislation aims to give state officials the authority to "issue official recommendations for immunizations, screening and preventive services."
"What the bill’s going to do, it’s going to make sure we’re following science and not conspiracy theories," Moore said, adding that it would essentially "decouple" Maryland from federal guidelines.
On Friday, more than 200 medical, public health, and patient advocacy groups sent a letter to Congress, urging members to conduct "robust oversight regarding the abrupt changes to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule." The letter goes on to call for investigations into "why the schedule was changed, why credible scientific evidence was ignored, and why the committee charged with advising the HHS Secretary on immunizations did not discuss the schedule changes as a part of their public meeting process."
What they're saying:
FOX 5 reached out to HHS officials for additional comment but didn't immediately hear back.