[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 68 (Monday, April 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 15165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-07217]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Meeting of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group

AGENCY: Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, 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 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces 
the fourth ``on-line'' meeting of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group 
(Working Group) on May 10, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Eastern 
Time. For this fourth meeting, the Working Group will focus on the 
findings and basis for the draft reports from the work of the six 
Subcommittee Working Groups that were established on December 12, 2017. 
These subcommittees were established to assist the Working Group with 
the development of the report to Congress and the HHS Secretary as 
required by the 21st Century Cures Act. The subcommittees are:
    1. Disease Vectors, Surveillance and Prevention (includes 
epidemiology of tick-borne diseases);
    2. Pathogenesis, Transmission, and Treatment;
    3. Testing and Diagnostics (including laboratory-based diagnoses 
and clinical-diagnoses);
    4. Access to Care Services and Support to Patients;
    5. Vaccine and Therapeutics; and
    6. Other Tick-Borne Diseases and Co-infections.

DATES: May 10, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: This will be a virtual meeting that is held via webcast. 
Members of the public may attend the meeting via webcast. Instructions 
for attending this virtual meeting will be posted one week prior to the 
meeting at: https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/tickbornedisease/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Berger, Office of HIV/AIDS and 
Infectious Disease Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Health, Department of Health and Human Services; via email at 
[email protected] or by phone at 202-795-7697.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Working Group invites public comment on 
issues related to the Working Group's charge. Comments may be provided 
over the phone during the meeting or in writing. Persons who wish to 
provide comments by phone should review directions at https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/tickbornedisease/meetings/index.html before submitting a request via email at 
[email protected] on or before May 3, 2018. Phone comments will 
be limited to three minutes each to accommodate as many speakers as 
possible. A total of 60 minutes will be allocated to public comments. 
If more requests are received than can be accommodated, speakers will 
be randomly selected. The nature of the comments will not be considered 
in making this selection. Public comments may also be provided in 
writing. Individuals who would like to provide written comment should 
review directions at https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/tickbornedisease/meetings/index.html before sending their comments to 
[email protected] on or before May 3, 2018.
    Background and Authority: The Tick-Borne Disease Working Group was 
established on August 10, 2017, in accordance with section 2062 of the 
21st Century Cures Act, and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 
U.S.C. App., as amended, to provide expertise and review all HHS 
efforts related to tick-borne diseases to help ensure interagency 
coordination and minimize overlap, examine research priorities, and 
identify and address unmet needs. In addition, the Working Group will 
report to the Secretary and Congress on their findings and any 
recommendations for the federal response to tick-borne disease 
prevention, treatment, and research, and addressing gaps in those 
areas.

    Dated: April 2, 2018.
James Berger,
Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, Alternate Designated 
Federal Officer, Tick-Borne Disease Working Group.
[FR Doc. 2018-07217 Filed 4-6-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-28-P