2014-09634. 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.

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 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; [phone]; [e-mail].

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 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.