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Maryland Issues First State Vaccine Guidance Under Vax Act

The state restores clear, evidence-based vaccine recommendations, requires insurer coverage for state-recommended shots, expands pharmacist access, and seeks to reduce public confusion before the respiratory virus season.

FILE - Nurse administers a COVID-19 vaccine.
FILE - A patient is given a flu vaccine at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans' Community Resource Center where they were offering members and the public free flu and COVID-19 vaccines Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Lynwood, Calif. As Americans head into the late 2022 holiday season, a rapidly intensifying flu season is straining hospitals already overburdened with patients sick from other respiratory infections.
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Overview

  • The Maryland Department of Health released its 2026–27 vaccine schedules and recommendations on Sept. 10, 2026, using authority granted by the Vax Act to publish state-level guidance for children and adults.
  • The new schedules list 18 pediatric vaccines and 16 adult/pregnancy entries and specifically recommend protection against COVID-19, seasonal influenza and RSV alongside routine shots such as MMR and hepatitis B.
  • Under the Vax Act guidance, certain state-regulated insurers must cover Maryland-recommended vaccines without out-of-pocket costs and pharmacists may administer recommended vaccines to anyone age 3 or older without a prescription.
  • State officials emphasized the guidance does not create new mandates and leaves school-entry vaccine requirements unchanged, while urging residents to seek respiratory vaccines by the end of October because current virus levels are low but could rise.
  • The move responds to recent federal policy shifts and court disputes over federal recommendations and aims to give clinicians and families a locally grounded, evidence-aligned roadmap while preserving no-cost programs for uninsured and underinsured residents.