Gov. Wes Moore wants state-level guidance to bigfoot the new federal vaccine recommendations, which do not universally include flu and other infectious diseases.

Moore said Thursday he intends to seek state legislation during the upcoming General Assembly session that would give Maryland’s health secretary more authority over vaccine guidance that is used by parents, doctors and insurers who pay for the shots.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. secretary of health and human services, announced this week a new childhood immunization schedule that dropped universal recommendations for the flu, COVID, RSV and other infections, even as there has been a surge in cases.

Almost 2,000 Marylanders are hospitalized with the flu, and seven people have died this season. Dr. Meena Seshamani, the state health secretary, says vaccination is the best defense.

Moore’s approach would allow Seshamani, and possibly future secretaries, to issue vaccine recommendations tied to guidance from major medical associations and even other states.

The General Assembly previously passed legislation to freeze vaccine recommendations in place in 2024, before President Donald Trump took office. The Democratic governor said he wants the state to go further.

“The federal government’s rapid shifts and the unnecessary confusion surrounding vaccine policy put public health at risk,” Moore said in a statement. “In Maryland, we will continue to protect our people by ensuring our guidance is driven by proven science, not political headwinds.”

The legislation may end up having more of an effect on messaging than law because the state is limited in which insurers it can order to cover vaccines. The proposed new authority would apply to those who sell policies on the state health exchange. Most Marylanders, however, get insurance through large self-funded companies that are federally regulated.

That said, most insurers have pledged to continue covering all vaccines.