Notice: Webinar Overview of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee 
Healthcare Personnel Influenza Vaccination Subgroup's Draft Report and 
Draft Recommendations for Achieving the Healthy People 2020 Annual 
Coverage Goals for Influenza Vaccination in Healthcare Personnel

Federal Register: Volume 76, Number 243 (Monday, December 19, 2011)
                  Pages 78658-78659

AGENCY: National Vaccine Program Office, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and 
Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO), on behalf of the 
National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC), Healthcare Personnel 
Influenza Vaccination Subgroup (HCPIVS), will host an informational 
webinar to introduce the committee's draft report and draft 
recommendations for annually achieving 90% influenza vaccination 
coverage among healthcare personnel, as stated in the Healthy People 
2020 goals. The informational webinar provides an opportunity for the 
public to listen to an overview of the findings and processes used by 
the HCPIVS members to derive their recommendations. Pre-registration 
for the webinar is required. The co-chairs of the HCPIVS working group 
will also provide information to the public on how to submit written 
comments on the draft report and draft recommendations through the 
Federal Register process. Registrants for the webinar will be provided 
an opportunity to submit questions about the report at the time of 
registration. Public and Stakeholder comments on the draft report and 
the draft recommendations should be directed to 
http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/subgroups/healthcare_personnel_influenza_vacc_subgroup.html.

[[Page 78659]]


DATES: This webinar will be held on Monday, January 9, 2012 from 11 
a.m.-12 p.m. EST. Registration will close January 4, 2012 at 5 p.m. 
EST.

ADDRESSES: Information about this webinar and registration can be found 
at: http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/meetings/index.html.
    Submitting Questions: Questions regarding the report may be 
submitted at the time of registration. Registration closes January 4, 
2012 at 5 p.m. EST. The chairs of the working group reserve the right 
to determine which, if any, questions they will answer in the available 
time.
    All stakeholders and members of the public may register to attend 
this webinar; the number of call-in lines is limited and available on a 
first-come, first-serve basis.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Gordon, Ph.D., National 
Vaccine Program Office, Department of Health and Human Services, Hubert 
H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Ave. SW., Room 733G.3, 
Washington, DC 20201, Attn: Healthcare Personnel Influenza Vaccination, 
telephone (202) 205-5673; fax (202) 260-1165; email: nvpo@hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) was established in 
1987 to comply with Title XXI of the Public Health Service Act (Pub. L. 
99-660) (Sec.  2105) (42 U.S. Code 300aa-5 (PDF-78 KB)). Its purpose is 
to advise and make recommendations to the Director of the National 
Vaccine Program on matters related to program responsibilities. The 
Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) has been designated by the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services as the Director of the National 
Vaccine Program. The ASH has charged the NVAC with developing 
recommended strategies for annually achieving 90% influenza vaccination 
coverage among healthcare personnel, as stated in the Healthy People 
2020 goals. The Healthcare Personnel Influenza Vaccination Subgroup 
(HCPIVS), a subgroup of the NVAC Adult Immunization Working Group 
(AWIG), was established to address this charge on behalf of the NVAC. 
The HCPIVS consists of a broad range of stakeholders including 
representatives from a variety of important medical and public health 
agencies and professional organizations. The HCPIVS members have 
deliberated on a number of scientific findings, position statements, 
and presentations that examine issues pertaining to influenza 
vaccination in healthcare personnel. Through discussion and careful 
review, the HCPIVS have developed draft recommendations for 
consideration by the NVAC to achieve this charge. The HCPIVS draft 
report and draft recommendations will be made available for public 
review and written comment from December 16, 2011 to January 16, 2012 
through the Federal Register process.
    The informational webinar provides an opportunity for the public to 
hear an overview of the findings and processes used by the HCPIVS 
members to derive their recommendations. The HCPIVS members will also 
provide information to the public on how to submit written comments on 
the draft report and draft recommendations through the Federal Register 
process. Written comments from the Federal Register will be given 
consideration by the NVAC when deliberating their final recommendations 
to the ASH.

    Dated: December 8, 2011.
Mark Grabowsky,
Deputy Director, National Vaccine Program Office.
[FR Doc. 2011-32319 Filed 12-16-11; 8:45 am]
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