Montgomery County has a hard date on its immunization calendar, and it is not the first day of school. It is September 14, the exclusion date, when students without documented required vaccines can be kept out of class.
The county's Department of Health and Human Services is running free back-to-school vaccination clinics from July through September, and it has stated the terms unusually plainly: Tdap, MCV4, MenB, varicella, HPV, COVID-19 and flu when available are offered free to Montgomery County Public Schools students with or without insurance, according to the county's Vaccines for Children page.
For working parents, the practical problem has never been willingness. It is scheduling. A pediatric appointment in August can run weeks out, and a missing Tdap record is enough to sideline a seventh grader who is otherwise healthy and enrolled.
Where and When the Clinics Run
Four sites are operating. The School Health Services Immunization Center at Rocking Horse Road, 4910 Macon Road in Rockville, holds the most frequent clinics, generally on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Dennis Avenue Health Center at 2000 Dennis Avenue in Silver Spring, Germantown Health Center at 12900 Middlebrook Road, and Silver Spring Health Center at 8630 Fenton Street round out the network.
The posted schedule includes a Saturday clinic at Dennis Avenue on August 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., an extended Dennis Avenue clinic on August 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a Silver Spring clinic on August 19, and continued Rocking Horse Road clinics through August 20. The first day of school is August 25. Clinics continue into September, including Dennis Avenue dates on September 4, September 11, September 19, and September 25.
Appointments are required. Parents can call Dennis Avenue at 240-777-1050, Germantown at 240-777-3380, Silver Spring at 240-777-3160, or the School Health Services Immunization Center at 240-740-4430.
Who Qualifies and What It Costs
Two separate things are happening, and families should not confuse them.
The back-to-school clinics for state-mandated shots are free to MCPS students regardless of insurance status. Year-round childhood immunization at county health centers runs through the federal Vaccines for Children program, which covers children 18 and younger who are uninsured, enrolled in Medical Assistance, have insurance that does not cover vaccines, or are American Indian or Alaska Native.
For that year-round VFC service, the county charges a vaccine administration fee on a sliding scale set by the Maryland Department of Health and based on family size and income. The county states directly that no child will be denied a vaccination because a family cannot pay the administration fee.
Children with private insurance should generally schedule with their own pediatrician. Families covered by Medical Assistance should bring the child's card.
What to Bring and How to Find the Records
Bring any existing immunization records. The single most common reason a compliant student gets flagged is a missing document rather than a missing shot.
Parents have several ways to retrieve records. School nurses maintain an immunization record for every enrolled MCPS student. Families can also view and print records through Maryland's MyIR Mobile portal or request records from ImmuNet, the state immunization information system. Pulling the record before the appointment saves a second trip.
Maryland requires all seventh graders to have Tdap and meningococcal vaccine, which is why rising middle schoolers account for a large share of August clinic volume.
Why the Schedule Question Is Confusing This Year
Montgomery County states on its own immunization page that it follows the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended schedule for children from birth through age 18.
That sentence would have been unnecessary in any previous year. It appears now because federal childhood vaccine recommendations changed in January 2026 and were subsequently stayed by a federal court, leaving families reading conflicting guidance. Maryland is among the states aligned with AAP guidance through the Northeast Public Health Collaborative.
The operational point for parents is narrower than the national debate: state school-entry requirements, not federal recommendations, determine whether a child can attend class. Maryland's requirements are the ones MCPS enforces.
County Executive Marc Elrich, announcing an earlier round of free student clinics, put the county's rationale simply, saying "Vaccines are one of the simplest and most effective ways we protect our kids" and adding that no student should miss class over an appointment or a cost, according to a county press release.
What Other Maryland Counties Are Offering
The Montgomery model is not unique, and families elsewhere in the region have options.
Baltimore County is running 10 school-located immunization clinics beginning August 10 and continuing through September 17, plus a mass clinic on September 19. Vaccines at those clinics are provided at no cost regardless of insurance status, and students must provide documentation before September 22 or may not return to school.
Anne Arundel County is offering free back-to-school immunization and tuberculosis testing clinics on August 15, August 20, August 27 and August 29, with weekly appointment-based clinics for uninsured, underinsured and Medical Assistance children at its Glen Burnie, Magothy and Parole health centers.
Statewide, the Maryland Vaccine Program covers recommended vaccines at no cost for uninsured and underinsured adults 19 and older, which matters for parents and caregivers in the same household.
What Remains Unclear and What Happens Next
Clinic schedules can change. Dates listed for late August and September were posted in July and may be revised, and several sites operate on a call-for-appointment basis rather than fixed hours. Families should confirm by phone rather than relying on a printed calendar.
It is also not yet clear how many MCPS students will be non-compliant heading into September. Counties typically do not publish exclusion numbers until after the deadline passes.
The immediate sequence is fixed: clinics run through August, school starts August 25, and the exclusion date arrives September 14. Parents who check a record now have roughly seven weeks of margin. Parents who check in September may not. MedicalDaily will follow whether Maryland districts report exclusions this fall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which vaccines are free at the Montgomery County back-to-school clinics? Tdap, MCV4, MenB, varicella, HPV, COVID-19 and flu when available, offered free to MCPS students with or without insurance.
Do I need an appointment? Yes. Call the specific health center. Numbers are listed for Dennis Avenue, Germantown, Silver Spring and the School Health Services Immunization Center in Rockville.
What if my child has private insurance? The back-to-school clinics are open to MCPS students regardless of insurance. For routine immunization outside those clinics, families with private insurance should generally use their pediatrician.
What is the deadline? School begins August 25. The county's immunization exclusion date is September 14, after which students without required documentation may be kept out of class.
What should I bring? Any existing immunization records, and the child's Medical Assistance card if applicable.
How do I get a copy of my child's immunization record? Ask the school nurse, contact your clinician, or use Maryland's MyIR Mobile portal or an ImmuNet records request.
What if we cannot afford the administration fee? The county states that no child will be denied vaccination because a family cannot pay the sliding-scale administration fee.
