Gov. Wes Moore sought to reassure Marylanders who want an updated COVID vaccine this fall that they will be able to get one in the state.

“The federal government’s rapid changes and unnecessary swirl around vaccine policy is harmful for Marylanders and all Americans, and could result in disastrous public health outcomes,” Moore said in a statement Friday evening.

“We will do everything in our power to ensure they have access to life-saving medicines like vaccines.”

Moves by the federal government under the Trump administration to change vaccine policies have caused confusion among consumers and a scramble among Democratic-led states to ensure vaccine access. Some states have formed alliances to buy vaccines, and others have changed their laws to require insurers to help consumers afford them.

In his statement, Moore said people in Maryland should be able to get a COVID shot and other vaccines using their insurance when they become available in the fall in many of the same places that normally offer inoculations. That includes pharmacies and doctors’ offices.

He pointed to legislation in the state that went into effect in June requiring private insurers and Medicaid to cover vaccines that were federally recommended by the end of last year.

It was not immediately clear if the state mandate applies to plans offered by self-insured companies, which are the majority of private plans in the state and are federally regulated. Consumers covered by those plans may need to call the number on the back of their insurance cards for up-to-date information about access and coverage.

Normally, all insurance plans across the country cover vaccines currently recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. But federal vaccination policy has been in turmoil after the expert panelists were all fired and replaced in June with noted vaccine critics. The newly constituted panel is set to meet Sept. 18 to discuss the future of COVID vaccines and others.

The federal government has made moves to shrink the number of people who could be eligible to receive a vaccine and have it covered by their insurers nationwide. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, under the direction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine critic, has restricted the COVID vaccine to those 65 and older and those with at least one health condition such as asthma, diabetes and obesity.

That is in contrast to Maryland’s 2024 law, which calls for everyone 6 months and older to be able to get a COVID shot.

Another Maryland law allows pharmacists to administer COVID, flu and other vaccines without a prescription to anyone age 3 or older. Whether all pharmacies follow those guidelines remains an open question, however.

“Vaccines continue to be one of the most powerful public health tools for safeguarding our people and communities against disease,” Dr. Meena Seshamani, Maryland health secretary, said in a statement. “As potential changes to federal vaccine guidance loom, Maryland is working to ensure minimal interruptions to vaccine access. We continue to work closely with our partners and are actively exploring all options to protect our communities.”

Moore and Seshamani said consumers and parents ought to talk to their health care providers about vaccines such as COVID and flu. Routine childhood vaccinations for measles, chickenpox and other diseases remain requirements to attend school.