[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14463-14464]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06890]


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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 recommendations to the 
Assistant Secretary for Health in his/her 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 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 4, 2018, to the address listed 
below.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be emailed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Vaccine Program Office, 
Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW, 
Room 715-H, Washington, DC 20201; (202) 690-5566; [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 accessing the NVAC website at: http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/index.html.

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/her 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'

[[Page 14464]]

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 and representative member category of 
the NVAC, including positions that are scheduled to be vacated during 
the 2019 calendar year. Applications received in response and not 
appointed may also be considered for future vacancies that occur.
    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 National Vaccine Advisory Committee: 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 
National Vaccine Advisory Committee 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; and
     vaccine communications.
    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; 
(3) a current copy of the nominee's curriculum vitae (no longer than 
ten pages); and (4) a short biographical sketch (no more than 350 
words). All required documentation must be received in order for a 
nomination to be considered.
    Please note that nominees will not receive updates on the status of 
their nomination. Information on nominees appointed to the Committee by 
the Department will be posted to the NVAC website at http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/members/index.html.
    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 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 
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.
    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: March 30, 2018.
Roula Sweis,
Deputy Director, National Vaccine Program Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-06890 Filed 4-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-44-P