[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]


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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.

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    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

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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

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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]
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