Maryland health officials released the state’s 2026-2027 vaccine recommendations Wednesday, formally stepping away from the Trump administration’s new guidance and joining more than a dozen other states that have done the same.
What’s happening: The Maryland Department of Health published vaccine schedules for children and adults ahead of the fall respiratory season. The recommendations are based on guidance from major medical organizations rather than the federal government.
The law behind it: A state law called the Vax Act, signed this spring, gives Maryland’s health secretary authority to set the state’s own immunization recommendations based on scientific and clinical evidence. Under the law:
- Insurers must cover all state-recommended vaccines at no cost to patients.
- Pharmacists can give recommended vaccines to anyone 3 and older without a prescription.
- Healthcare providers get clear guidance aligned with their professional standards.
What’s covered: The recommendations include vaccines for COVID-19, flu, RSV, measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis B. The state says the list does not create any new school vaccine requirements. Maryland’s school entry rules remain unchanged.
The bigger picture: Maryland is part of a growing split between states and the Trump administration over vaccine policy. At least 12 states have now issued their own science-based guidance or formally adopted recommendations from independent medical groups instead of following revised federal standards.
States have taken roughly three approaches:
- Maryland and Massachusetts have each issued their own standalone vaccine schedules.
- California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii formed the West Coast Health Alliance and jointly released alternative regional recommendations Sept. 4.
- Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine, Illinois and New York have formally adopted or endorsed recommendations from groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
New York formally endorsed independent recommendations Sept. 10, the same day Maryland released its schedule. Those recommendations were based on a review of nearly 300 peer-reviewed studies.
The regional coalition: The Northeast Public Health Collaborative, which includes Maryland and 10 other states plus several major cities, endorsed the independent 2026-2027 respiratory vaccine recommendations Sept. 9. The group cited what it called “federal gaps in immunization guidance.”
By the numbers: More than 96% of Maryland kindergartners are reported as vaccinated. Uninsured or underinsured residents can get recommended vaccines at no cost through the Maryland Vaccines for Children program and the Maryland Vaccine Program.
The recommendations are available at health.maryland.gov/vaccines.