[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 148 (Thursday, August 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46588-46589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18479]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Solicitation of Written Comments on the Global Immunizations
Working Group's Draft Report and Draft Recommendations for Enhancing
the Work of the HHS National Vaccine Program in Global Immunizations
for Consideration by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee
AGENCY: National Vaccine Program Office, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and
Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) was established
in 1987 to comply with Title XXI of the Public Health Service Act (Pub.
L. 99-660) (Sec. 2105) (42 U.S. Code 300aa-5 (PDF-78 KB)). Its purpose
is to advise and make recommendations to the Director of the National
Vaccine Program on matters related to program responsibilities. The
Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) has been designated by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the Director of the
National Vaccine Program.
The ASH charged the NVAC with reviewing the role of HHS in global
vaccination, the effects of global vaccination on global populations,
the effects of global vaccination on U.S. populations, and recommending
how HHS can best continue to contribute, consistent with its newly
established Global Health Strategy and Goal 5 of the National Vaccine
Plan. The NVAC was also asked to make recommendations on how to best
communicate this information to decision makers and the general public
to ensure continued sufficient resources for the global vaccination
efforts. The NVAC established the Global Immunizations Working Group to
assist in addressing these charges.
A draft report and draft recommendations have been developed by the
working group for consideration by the NVAC and will be deliberated on
by the NVAC when developing NVAC's final recommendations to the ASH.
The National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) is soliciting public comment
on the draft report and draft recommendations from a variety of
stakeholders, including the general public, for consideration by the
NVAC as they develop their final recommendations to the ASH. It is
anticipated that the draft report and draft recommendations, as revised
with consideration given to public comment
[[Page 46589]]
and stakeholder input, will be presented to the NVAC for adoption in
September 2013 at the quarterly NVAC meeting.
DATES: Comments for consideration by the NVAC should be received no
later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on August 16, 2013.
ADDRESSES: (1) The draft report and draft recommendations are available
on the web at http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/index.html.
(2) Electronic responses are preferred and may be addressed to:
[email protected].
(3) Written responses should be addressed to: National Vaccine
Program Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200
Independence Avenue SW., Room 733G, Washington, DC 20201. Attn: HHS
Global Immunizations c/o Dr. Jennifer Gordon.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Gordon, Ph.D., National
Vaccine Program Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health,
Department of Health and Human Services; telephone (202) 260-6619; fax
(202) 260-1165; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) is located within the
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Office of the
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). NVPO
provides leadership and fosters collaboration among the various Federal
agencies involved in vaccine and immunization activities. These
coordinated efforts are aimed to achieve the strategic goals outlined
in the National Vaccine Plan. The National Vaccine Plan provides a
framework, including goals, objectives, and strategies, for pursuing
the prevention of infectious diseases through immunizations. The NVPO
also supports the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC). The NVAC
advises and makes recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Health
in his capacity as the Director of National Vaccine Program on matters
related to vaccine program responsibilities.
Global immunization efforts save millions of lives every year and
are deemed one of the most cost-effective strategies in public health.
The global health community has the potential to substantially reduce
childhood mortality and alleviate the economic and societal burdens
vaccine preventable diseases impose on nations through immunization.
However, continued efforts are needed to strengthen and optimize
routine immunization systems to ensure the full benefits of
immunization are extended to all people, regardless of where they are
born, who they are, or where they live.
Global immunization efforts are also important to protecting the
health and economic investments of the U.S. Globalization, frequent
travel, and the ongoing threat of disease outbreaks due to importations
of infectious diseases bring global health to the forefront of HHS
efforts to protect the health and well-being of Americans as well as
populations across the globe. This is reflected in the Secretary's
2010-2015 HHS Strategy, the HHS Global Health Strategy, the 2010
National Vaccine Plan, and a number of strategic plans specific to the
individual HHS agencies and offices.
Through a series of teleconferences and electronic communications,
the NVAC Global Immunizations working group identified a number of
draft recommendations that fell into six priority areas, which
represent both opportunities for improving global immunizations, as
well as areas that will benefit the most from continued and enhanced
HHS participation. These priority areas include:
1. Tackling time-limited opportunities to complete polio
eradication and to advance measles mortality reduction and regional
measles/rubella elimination goals
2. Strengthening Global Immunization Systems
3. Enhancing Global Capacity for Vaccine Safety Monitoring and
Post-Marketing Surveillance
4. Building Global Immunization Research and Development Capacity
5. Strengthening Capacity for Vaccine Policy and Decision Making
6. HHS Leadership and Coordination.
The NVAC draft report details the background and rationale for each
of the recommendations, how HHS is currently contributing to these
global efforts, and how the ASH can support and further HHS activities
in these areas. The NVAC intends for the recommendations to serve as a
potential roadmap for better coordination and tracking of HHS global
immunization efforts. The continued participation of HHS in the six
priority areas identified by NVAC will make certain that global
immunizations remain at the forefront of HHS global health priorities.
II. Request for Comment
NVPO, on behalf of the NVAC Global Immunizations Working Group,
requests input on the draft report and draft recommendations. In
addition to general comments on the draft report and draft
recommendations, NVPO is seeking input on activities not represented in
the report where HHS efforts can offer a comparative advantage or where
HHS efforts could enhance other USG efforts in alignment with the HHS
Global Health Strategy and the National Vaccine Plan. Please limit your
comments to six (6) pages.
III. Potential Responders
HHS invites input from a broad range of stakeholders including
individuals and organizations that have interests in global
immunization efforts and the role of HHS in enhancing those efforts.
Examples of potential responders include, but are not limited to,
the following:
--General public;
--Advocacy groups and public interest organizations;
--Academics and professional societies;
--Global organizations, governmental, and non-governmental
organizations;
--Development partners, foundations, and philanthropic organizations;
--Representatives from the private sector.
When responding, please self-identify with any of the above or
other categories (include all that apply) and your name. Anonymous
submissions will not be considered. Written submissions should not
exceed six pages. Please do not send proprietary, commercial,
financial, business, confidential, trade secret, or personal
information.
Dated: July 24, 2013.
Bruce Gellin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Director, National Vaccine
Program Office.
[FR Doc. 2013-18479 Filed 7-31-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-44-P