[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 63405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24895]



[[Page 63405]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety and 
Availability

AGENCY: 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 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is hereby 
giving notice that the Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety 
and Availability (ACBTSA) will hold a virtual meeting. The meeting will 
be open to the public. For this meeting, the committee will discuss and 
vote on a recommendation pertaining to a proposed update to the 2020 
Public Health Service (PHS) Guideline for Assessing Solid Organ Donors 
and Monitoring Transplant Recipients for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, 
Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus Infection. The following 
question will be posed to the committee: Does the available data 
support exempting solid organ transplant candidates who are <=10 years 
of age at the time of transplant (and who have received postnatal 
infectious disease testing) from the recommendation for HIV, Hepatitis 
B virus, and Hepatitis C virus testing during the hospital admission 
for transplant but prior to anastomosis of the first organ?

DATES: The meeting will take place virtually on Wednesday, December 1, 
2021 from approximately 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Meeting 
times are tentative and subject to change. The confirmed times and 
agenda items for the meeting will be posted on the ACBTSA web page at 
https://www.hhs.gov/oidp/advisory-committee/blood-tissue-safety-availability/meetings/2021-12-01/index.html when this information 
becomes available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Berger, Designated Federal 
Officer for the ACBTSA; Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS 
Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of 
Health and Human Services, Mary E. Switzer Building, 330 C Street SW, 
Suite L600, Washington, DC 20024. (202) 795-7608 or Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ACBTSA is a discretionary Federal 
advisory committee. The Committee is governed by the provisions of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 
U.S.C. App), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of 
advisory committees. On the day of the meeting, please go to https://www.hhs.gov/live/index.html to view the meeting. The public will have 
an opportunity to present their views to the ACBTSA by submitting a 
written public comment. Comments should be pertinent to the meeting 
discussion. Persons who wish to provide written public comment should 
review instructions at https://www.hhs.gov/oidp/advisory-committee/blood-tissue-safety-availability/meetings/2021-12-01/index.html and 
respond by midnight November 26, 2021, ET. Written public comments will 
be accessible to the public on the ACBTSA web page prior to the 
meeting.
    ACBTSA functions to provide advice to the Secretary through the 
Assistant Secretary for Health on a range of policy issues to include: 
(1) Identification of public health issues through surveillance of 
blood and tissue safety issues with national survey and data tools; (2) 
identification of public health issues that affect availability of 
blood, blood products, and tissues; (3) broad public health, ethical, 
and legal issues related to the safety of blood, blood products, and 
tissues; (4) the impact of various economic factors (e.g., product cost 
and supply) on safety and availability of blood, blood products, and 
tissues; (5) risk communications related to blood transfusion and 
tissue transplantation; and (6) identification of infectious disease 
transmission issues for blood, organs, blood stem cells and tissues. 
The Committee has met regularly since its establishment in 1997.

    Dated: October 27, 2021.
James J. Berger,
Designated Federal Officer, Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue 
Safety and Availability, Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS 
Policy.
[FR Doc. 2021-24895 Filed 11-15-21; 8:45 am]
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