[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 132 (Thursday, July 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39397-39399]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16132]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Extension of Solicitation for Nominations for Membership on the 
National Vaccine Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, National 
Vaccine Program Office.

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 extending the solicitation period 
for nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for 
appointment as public members to the National Vaccine Advisory 
Committee (NVAC). NVPO is taking this action to allow more time for 
qualified candidates to be identified to be considered for appointment 
as public members of the NVAC. NVPO is seeking additional candidates 
that meet the expertise and qualifications needed to constitute a 
balanced membership as

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outlined in the Committee's charter and to ensure that the membership 
will be fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented and 
the Committee's function. 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 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 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 August 11, 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 715H, 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 715H, 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: 
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. This announcement is to solicit 
nominations of qualified candidates to fill positions in the public 
member category of the NVAC that are scheduled to be vacated during the 
2015 calendar year.
    Expertise sought for NVAC: NVPO is extending the solicitation 
period for nominations to the Committee to allow for additional 
nominations of candidates that meet the expertise and qualifications 
needed to constitute a balanced membership as outlined in the 
Committee's charter and to ensure that the membership will be fairly 
balanced in terms of the points of view represented and the Committee's 
function. NVPO is seeking nominations of individuals to serve on the 
NVAC as public members in the following disciplines/topic areas:

 Members of parent organizations concerned with immunizations
 Individuals engaged in vaccine research and development, 
vaccine clinical trials, and vaccine regulatory science

    How to submit nominations: Nominations should be typewritten. 
Submitted nominations must include all required information. 
Nominations that do not include all of the required information will be 
considered ineligible and will not be processed for consideration. 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 and the basis for the nomination (i.e., 
specific attributes which qualify the nominee for service in this 
capacity);
    (2) a signed statement from the nominee that the nominee is willing 
and able to serve as a member of the Committee;
    (3) the nominator's name, address and daytime telephone number, 
home and/or work address, telephone number, and email address; and
    (4) a current copy of the nominee's curriculum vitae.
    The letter from the nominator and the letter certifying 
availability from the nominated individual must both bear original 
signatures. Digital signatures or reproduced copies of signatures are 
not acceptable and will cause a nomination to be considered ineligible. 
Individuals can nominate themselves for consideration of appointment to 
the Committee. Applications cannot be submitted by facsimile or via 
email. 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.

Definitions

     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 the 
vaccine industry. 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 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.
    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

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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.
    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 
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 annual ethics review 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: July 1, 2014.
Jennifer L. Gordon,
Alternate Designated Federal Official, National Vaccine Advisory 
Committee, Public Health Analyst, National Vaccine Program Office.
[FR Doc. 2014-16132 Filed 7-9-14; 8:45 am]
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