MARYLAND - Governor Wes Moore has announced a new adult vaccine program intended to expand access to critical immunizations for uninsured and underinsured Marylanders. The program will be administered by the Maryland Department of Health and will provide recommended vaccines to Marylanders aged 19 and older for free.
Governor Moore's office says the program is made possible through $2.8 million allocated in partnership with the Maryland General Assembly. It will allow local health departments to provide state-purchased vaccines to eligible adults to reduce the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases like COVID-19, the flu, measles, etc. The increased vaccine supply will allow public health workers to quickly respond to outbreaks and overall better protect Maryland residents, according to officials.
To receive vaccines through this new program, eligible adults can contact their local health department to check vaccine availability. Here on Maryland's Eastern Shore, vaccines are currently available through the Somerset County health department and availability in other counties will be expanded in the coming weeks.
The Governor's office says access to these vaccines is especially important to mitigate serious illness impacts as we enter the respiratory virus season. The 2024-2025 respiratory virus season saw nearly 5,000 Marylanders hospitalized with COVID-19, more than 8,000 with flu, and more than 2,600 with respiratory syncytial virus. According to the Maryland Combined Respiratory Illness Dashboard, overall respiratory activity in Maryland is still low, so residents have time to get their vaccines before season activity peaks.
Vaccines are also available for uninsured and underinsured children through the federally-funded Vaccines for Children Program, officials say. For more information on vaccine resources in Maryland, you can find it here.