Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) signed a bill that allows the state’s secretary of health to determine what vaccines the state may administer.
“Maryland’s vaccine policy will be led by science – not internet conspiracy theories,” Moore said in a statement. “We will protect our people, no matter how they voted in the last election.”
According to Senate Bill 385, the state’s secretary of health may “issue recommendations for certain immunizations, screenings, and preventive services based on certain evidence–based scientific and clinical guidance.” The recommendations shall me “made in accordance with the applicable recommendations” of “authoritative medical organizations” such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) scaled back its recommended childhood vaccines in January. At the end of 2024, the CDC recommended 17 vaccines for children.
The ten vaccines are considered to be of international consensus and include diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (whooping cough), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Pneumococcal conjugate, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and human papillomavirus (HPV). HHS also recommends that children receive the chickenpox vaccine. High-risk groups are recommended to receive the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), hepatitis A, hepatitis B, dengue, meningococcal ACWY, and meningococcal B vaccines.
According to the assessment document, the analysis “compares the U.S. with peer nations, examines vaccine uptake and trust, addresses clinical and epidemiological considerations and knowledge gaps, analyzes vaccine mandates, and outlines recommendations and next steps for immediate and long-term action.”
