[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]


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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.

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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]
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