[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 82 (Tuesday, April 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23977-23979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09634]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Solicitation of Nominations for Membership on 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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 300aa-5, Section 2105 of the Public Health
Service (PHS) Act, as amended. The National Vaccine Advisory
Committee is governed by the provisions of Public Law 92-463, as
amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), which sets forth standards for the
formation and use of advisory committees.
SUMMARY: The National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO), a program office
within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), is soliciting nominations of qualified
candidates to be considered for appointment as public members to the
National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC). The activities of this
Committee are governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).
Management and support of the NVAC and its activities are the
responsibility of the NVPO.
The NVAC serves an advisory role, providing peer review,
consultation, advice, and recommendations to the Assistant Secretary
for Health in his capacity as the Director of the National Vaccine
Program, on matters related to the Program's responsibilities.
Specifically, the Committee studies and recommends ways to encourage
the availability of an adequate supply of safe and effective
vaccination products in the United States; recommends research
priorities and other measures to enhance the safety and efficacy of
vaccines. The Committee also advises the Assistant Secretary for Health
in the implementation of Sections 2102 and
[[Page 23978]]
2103 of the PHS Act; and identifies annually the most important areas
of government and non-government cooperation that should be considered
in implementing Sections 2102 and 2103 of the PHS Act.
DATES: All nominations for membership on the Committee must be received
no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 29, 2014, to the address listed
below.
ADDRESSES: All nominations should be mailed or delivered to: Bruce
Gellin, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Secretary, NVAC, Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human
Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Room 715-H, Washington, DC
20201.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Gordon, Ph.D., Public Health
Analyst, National Vaccine Program Office, Department of Health and
Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Room 733G, Washington, DC
20201; (202) 260-6619; [email protected].
A copy of the Committee charter which includes the NVAC's structure
and functions as well as a list of the current membership can be
obtained by contacting Dr. Gordon or by accessing the NVAC Web site at:
www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Committee Function, Qualifications, and Information Required: As
part of an ongoing effort to enhance deliberations and discussions with
the public on vaccine and immunization policy, nominations are being
sought for interested individuals to serve on the NVAC. Committee
members provide peer review, consultation, advice, and recommendations
to the Assistant Secretary for Health, in his capacity as the Director
of the National Vaccine Program, on matters related to the Program's
responsibilities. Individuals selected for appointment to the NVAC will
serve as voting members. The NVAC consists of 17 voting members: 15
public members, including the Chair, and two representative members.
Individuals selected for appointment to the NVAC can be invited to
serve terms of up to four years. Selection of members is based on
candidates' qualifications to contribute to the accomplishment of
NVAC's objectives. Interested candidates should demonstrate a
willingness to commit time to NVAC activities and the ability to work
constructively and effectively on committees.
Public Members: Public members are individuals who are appointed to
the NVAC to exercise their own independent, best judgment on behalf of
the government. It is expected that public members will discuss and
deliberate in a manner that is free from conflicts of interest. Public
members to the NVAC shall be selected from individuals who are engaged
in vaccine research or the manufacture of vaccines, or who are
physicians, members of parent organizations concerned with
immunizations, representatives of state or local health agencies, or
public health organizations.
Representative Members: Representative members are individuals who
are appointed to the NVAC to provide the views of industry or a special
interest group. While they may be experts in various topic areas
discussed by the Committee, they should not present their own
viewpoints, but rather those of the industry or special interest group
they represent. NVAC representative members shall serve specifically to
represent the viewpoints or perspectives of the vaccine manufacturing
industry or groups engaged in vaccine research or the manufacture of
vaccines.
This announcement is to solicit nominations of qualified candidates
to fill positions in the public member category of the NVAC that are
currently vacant or are scheduled to be vacated during the 2015
calendar year.
Travel reimbursement and compensation for services provided to the
Committee: All NVAC members are authorized to receive the prescribed
per diem allowance and reimbursement for travel expenses that are
incurred to attend meetings and conduct authorized NVAC-related
business, in accordance with standard government travel regulations.
Members appointed to the NVAC as public members (see definition above)
also are authorized to receive a stipend for services provided at
public meetings of the Committee. All other services that are performed
by the public members outside the Committee meetings shall be provided
without compensation. Representative members (see definition above)
will serve without compensation.
Expertise sought for the NVAC: In accordance with the charter,
persons nominated for appointment as members of the NVAC should be
among authorities knowledgeable in areas related to vaccine safety,
vaccine effectiveness, and vaccine supply. In order to enhance the
diversity of expertise included in Committee discussions, NVPO is
seeking nominations of individuals to serve on the NVAC as public
members in the following disciplines/topic areas:
vaccine research and development, vaccine clinical trials,
and vaccine regulatory science;
vaccine safety and post-marketing surveillance;
vaccine access and financing;
health information technologies and immunization
information systems;
immunization program implementation and management;
vaccine communications;
bioethicists with knowledge of vaccine-related issues
How to submit nominations: Nominations should be typewritten. The
following information should be included in the package of material
submitted for each individual being nominated for consideration: (1) A
letter of nomination that clearly states the name and affiliation of
the nominee, the basis for the nomination (i.e., specific attributes
which qualify the nominee for service in this capacity); and a
statement that the nominee is willing to serve as a member of the
Committee (2) the nominator's name, address and daytime telephone
number, home and/or work address, telephone number, and email address;
and (3) a copy of the nominee's current curriculum vitae.
Individuals can nominate themselves for consideration of
appointment to the Committee. All nominations must include the required
information. Incomplete nominations will not be processed for
consideration. The letter from the nominator and certification of the
nominated individual must bear original signatures; reproduced copies
of these signatures are not acceptable. Applications cannot be
submitted by facsimile. The names of federal employees should not be
nominated for consideration of appointment to this Committee.
The Department makes every effort to ensure that the membership of
HHS federal advisory committees is fairly balanced in terms of points
of view represented and the committee's function. Every effort is made
to ensure that a broad representation of geographic areas, gender,
ethnic and minority groups, and the disabled are given consideration
for membership on HHS federal advisory committees. Appointment to this
Committee shall be made without discrimination on the basis of age,
race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and cultural,
religious, or socioeconomic status.
The Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive
Branch (www.oge.gov/Laws-and-Regulations/Employee-Standards-of-Conduct/Employee-Standards-of-Conduct) are applicable to individuals who are
[[Page 23979]]
appointed as public members of federal advisory committees. Individuals
appointed to serve as public members of federal advisory committees are
classified as special government employees (SGEs). SGEs are government
employees for purposes of the conflict of interest laws. Therefore,
individuals appointed to serve as public members of NVAC are subject to
an ethics review. The ethics review is conducted to determine if the
individual has any interests and/or activities in the private sector
that may conflict with performance of their official duties as a member
of the NVAC. Individuals appointed to serve as public members of the
NVAC will be required to disclose information regarding financial
holdings, consultancies, research grants and/or contracts, and the
absence of an appearance of a loss of impartiality.
Dated: April 22, 2014.
Bruce Gellin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Director, National Vaccine
Program Office, Executive Secretary, National Vaccine Advisory
Committee.
[FR Doc. 2014-09634 Filed 4-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-44-P