Maryland sets its own vaccine guidance amid shifting federal policies

BETHESDA, Md. - For the first time, Maryland is issuing its own vaccine guidelines. The state rolled out new recommendations for children and adults, including for COVID, flu  and RSV vaccines.

What we know:

It comes as federal vaccine policies continue to change. 

Maryland is not the only state taking these steps. As federal vaccine policy has shifted, states across the U.S. have started issuing their own guidance, including California, Oregon and Hawaii.

Maryland’s guidance does not create any new vaccine mandates, and nothing changes when it comes to the vaccines required to attend Maryland schools.

"We know there’s a lot of confusion out there about what the guidelines are at the federal level right now. And I’ve gotten a lot of questions from individuals and families in Maryland," said Maryland State Public Health Officer Dr. Meg Sullivan. "I think, first and foremost, our goal with these recommendations is to create one place where there are clear recommendations to eliminate the confusion. And we will stress that these recommendations very much are in line with the recommendations of the major medical organizations."

The VAX Act, passed earlier this year, gives the state health secretary explicit authority to set Maryland’s own immunization recommendations for the first time. The new schedules cover vaccines from childhood through adulthood.

Vaccine recommendations 

When it comes to COVID-19, Maryland recommends the updated vaccine for adults and all children six to 23 months old. For older kids, the guidance takes into account risk—or whether a family wants the vaccine. 

The state also continues to recommend an annual flu shot for everyone six months and older, along with RSV vaccines for certain age and risk groups.

State officials say the new law also protects access. Certain state-regulated health plans must cover Maryland-recommended vaccines without out-of-pocket costs, and pharmacists can give recommended vaccines to anyone three and older without a prescription.

But with vaccine guidance now coming from the federal government, states, and medical groups, Dr. Wilbur Chen with the University of Maryland School of Medicine says patients should ultimately have that conversation with a doctor they trust.

"I think we expect that patients will listen to their doctors no matter if they’re taking the stand of 'I’m gonna listen to this' or 'I’m not gonna listen to that' because we don’t want to make it seem like a political decision that it really is the best medical choice," said Dr. Chen. "I think the bottom line is that we want to, as providers, give the best care to our patients."

State health officials said COVID, flu, and RSV levels are low in Maryland right now, but they’re expected to rise with respiratory virus season around the corner.

Residents are encouraged to start thinking about their vaccines now and plan to ideally get that shot by the end of October.