[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 23 (Thursday, February 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6136-6138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2372]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Solicitation for Nominations for the National Vaccine Advisory
Committee
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the
[[Page 6137]]
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 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, DHHS, 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 support for the
activities of this Committee is the responsibility of the NVPO.
Consistent with the National Vaccine Plan, the Committee advises
and makes 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: Nominations for membership on the Committee must be received no
later than 5 p.m. EDT on April 4, 2011, at the address below.
ADDRESSES: All nominations should be mailed or delivered to Bruce G.
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, Hubert H. Humphrey
Building, Washington, DC 20201.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Vaccine Program Office,
Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Room 715-H, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Washington, DC 20201; (202)
690-5566; [email protected]. A copy of the Committee charter which includes
the Committee's structure and functions as well as a list of the
current membership can be obtained by contacting the National Vaccine
Program Office or by accessing the NVAC Web site at http://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 Committee as public
members. Individuals selected for appointment to the Committee will
serve as voting members. The Committee is composed of 15 public
members, including the Chair, and two representative members. In
accordance with the Committee charter, public members 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 shall
be selected from the vaccine manufacturing industry who are engaged in
vaccine research or the manufacture of vaccines. Individuals selected
for appointment to the Committee can be invited to serve terms of up to
four years.
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 Committee-related business, in
accordance with Standard Government Travel Regulations. Individuals who
are appointed to serve as public members are authorized also to receive
honorarium for attending Committee meetings and to carry out other
authorized Committee-related business. Individuals who are appointed to
serve as representative members for a particular interest group or
industry are not authorized to receive honorarium for the performance
of these duties. This announcement is to solicit nominations of
qualified candidates to fill positions on the NVAC that are scheduled
to be vacated in the public member category. The positions are
scheduled to be vacated in 2011.
Nominations
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. 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, daytime telephone number, and the home and/
or work address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the individual
being nominated; and (3) a current copy of the nominee's 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
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 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
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Committee. Individuals appointed to serve as public members of the
Committee will be required to disclose information regarding financial
holdings, consultancies, and research grants and/or contracts.
Dated: January 28, 2011.
Bruce Gellin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Director, National Vaccine Program Office,
Executive Secretary, National Vaccine Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 2011-2372 Filed 2-2-11; 8:45 am]
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