HHS has rewritten the governing charters for the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee.
The ACCV charter, filed July 21, removes the standalone designated federal officer section that appeared in the previous version, which specified that a full-time federal employee would approve meeting agendas, call meetings and maintain public-facing information on the committee’s activities.
In its place, the new charter refers more broadly to “the federal official responsible for ACCV oversight” calling or approving meetings. The revised charter also adds a provision allowing that federal official, if appointed by the HRSA administrator, to serve as temporary chair if ACCV members have not selected a chair and vice chair. The ACCV advises the HHS secretary on the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, including changes to the Vaccine Injury Table and how the government collects and uses vaccine adverse event data.
The revised NVAC charter adds duties not previously included in the panel’s purview, directing members to weigh what it terms “non-immunization strategies,” including healthy lifestyle and disease prevention initiatives, off-label use of already approved drugs and dietary supplements marketed for immune support.
The move continues a pattern of charter revisions under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In June, CDC posted a revised ACIP charter that similarly directs the immunization panel to weigh nonvaccine interventions and emphasizes potential gaps in vaccine safety data. HHS also revived the long-dormant Safer Childhood Vaccines task force last August, which is meant to work alongside the ACCV on vaccine safety recommendations, and removed the two vice chairs of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force earlier this year.
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