Solicitation of Written Comments on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee's Draft Report and Draft Recommendations for Consideration for Addressing the State of Vaccine Confidence in the United States, 18424-18426 [2015-07778]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 65 / Monday, April 6, 2015 / Notices
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tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
VII. Agency Contacts
1. Questions on the programmatic
issues may be directed to:
Mr. Chris Buchanan, Director, ODSCT,
801 Thompson Avenue, Suite 220,
Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Telephone: (301) 443–1104. E-Mail:
Chris.Buchanan@ihs.gov.
2. Questions on grants management
and fiscal matters may be directed to:
Mr. John Hoffman, DGM, Grants
Management Specialist, 801
Thompson Avenue, TMP Suite 360,
Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Telephone: (301) 443–2116 Fax: (301)
443–9602. E-Mail: John.Hoffman@
ihs.gov.
3. Questions on systems matters may
be directed to:
Paul Gettys, Grant Systems Coordinator,
DGM, 801 Thompson Avenue, TMP
Suite 360, Rockville, MD 20852.
Phone: 301–443–2114; or the DGM
main line 301–443–5204. Fax: 301–
443–9602. E-Mail: Paul.Gettys@
ihs.gov.
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VIII. Other Information
The Public Health Service strongly
encourages all cooperative agreement
and contract recipients to provide a
smoke-free workplace and promote the
non-use of all tobacco products. In
addition, Public Law 103–227, the ProChildren Act of 1994, prohibits smoking
in certain facilities (or in some cases,
any portion of the facility) in which
regular or routine education, library,
day care, health care, or early childhood
development services are provided to
children. This is consistent with the
HHS mission to protect and advance the
physical and mental health of the
American people.
Dated: March 29, 2015.
Robert G. McSwain,
Acting Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–07780 Filed 4–3–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165–16–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Solicitation of Written Comments on
the National Vaccine Advisory
Committee’s Draft Report and Draft
Recommendations for Consideration
for Addressing the State of Vaccine
Confidence in the United States
Office of the Secretary, Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Health,
National Vaccine Program Office,
Department of Health and Human
Services
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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) (§ 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 (HHS) as the Director of the
National Vaccine Program. The National
Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) is
located within the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH),
Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS).
NVPO provides leadership and fosters
collaboration among the various federal
agencies involved in vaccine and
immunization activities. The NVPO also
supports the National Vaccine Advisory
Committee (NVAC). The NVAC advises
and makes recommendations to the
ASH in her capacity as the Director of
SUMMARY:
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National Vaccine Program on matters
related to vaccine program
responsibilities.
Recognizing that immunizations are
given across the lifespan and there are
likely to be important differences in
vaccine acceptance at different stages of
life, in February of 2013 the National
Vaccine Advisory Committee accepted
an initial charge from the Assistant
Secretary for Health (ASH) to report on
how confidence in vaccines impacts the
optimal use of recommended childhood
vaccines in the United States, including
reaching Healthy People 2020
immunization coverage targets. Focus of
such a report may include
understanding the determinants of
vaccination acceptance among parents,
what HHS should be doing to improve
parental confidence in vaccine
recommendations and how to best
measure confidence in vaccine and
vaccination to inform and evaluate
interventions in the future.
Through a series of teleconferences,
electronic communications,
presentations and public discussions
during the NVAC meetings, a working
group identified a number of draft
recommendations to further understand
and address issues of vaccine
confidence in the United States.
On behalf of NVAC, NVPO is
soliciting public comment on the draft
report and draft recommendations from
a variety of stakeholders, including the
general public, for consideration by the
NVAC as they develop their final
recommendations to the ASH. It is
anticipated that the draft report and
draft recommendations, as revised with
consideration given to public comment
and stakeholder input, will be presented
to the NVAC for adoption in June 2015
at the quarterly NVAC meeting.
DATES: Comments for consideration by
the NVAC should be received no later
than 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2015.
ADDRESSES:
(1) The draft report and draft
recommendations are available on the
Web at https://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/
subgroups/nvac-vaccine-confidencewg.html.
(2) Electronic responses are preferred
and may be addressed to: vcwg@
hhs.gov.
(3) Written responses should be
addressed to: National Vaccine Program
Office, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, 200 Independence
Avenue SW., Room 733G, Washington,
DC 20201. Attn: Vaccine Confidence
Working Group.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
National Vaccine Program Office, Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Health,
E:\FR\FM\06APN1.SGM
06APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 65 / Monday, April 6, 2015 / Notices
Department of Health and Human
Services; telephone (202) 690–5566; fax
(202) 690–4631; email: vcwg@hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
I. Background
Vaccination confidence is one of a
number of factors that affect individual
and population-level willingness to
accept a vaccine. Vaccine confidence
means having confidence in the safety
and efficacy of a vaccine, having
confidence in the competence of the
health professionals who administer the
vaccine, and having trust in the
motivations of the policy-makers who
decide which vaccines are needed and
when. Vaccine confidence has been
shown to influence vaccine decision
making, but to what extent remains
unclear. This is partly due to a lack of
consensus on how best to quantify the
confidence of an individual and a
population. Gaining this understanding
along with identifying factors which
drive public confidence is critical for
assessing the magnitude of the problem
in the U.S., as well as designing and
evaluating potential intervention
strategies.
Through their analysis and
discussion, the NVAC proposes the
following recommendations:
Focus Area 1: Measuring and Tracking
Vaccine Confidence
1.1 NVAC recommends
development of an ‘‘index,’’ composed
of a number of individual and social
dimensions, to measure vaccine
confidence. This index should be
capable of (1) a rapid, reliable and valid
surveillance of national vaccine
confidence; (2) detection and
identification of variations in vaccine
confidence at the community level; and
(3) diagnosis of the key dimensions that
affect vaccine confidence.
1.2 NVAC recommends continuing
the use of existing measures for vaccine
confidence, including systems that
measure vaccine coverage as well as
vaccine-related confidence, attitudes
and beliefs while the science of
understanding and tracking vaccine
confidence is being advanced.
1.3 NVAC recommends the
development of measures and methods
to analyze the mass media environment
and social media conversations to
identify topics of concern to parents,
healthcare providers, and members of
the public.
1.4 NVAC recommends that existing
approaches and systems for monitoring
vaccination coverages and vaccinerelated cognitions, attitudes, and
behaviors be strengthened and
enhanced. These include: (1)
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Jkt 235001
18425
Immunization Information Systems (IIS)
and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to
collect and capture delays and refusals;
(2) Reliable and valid measures (or
surveys) of cognitive factors, such as
adults and parents’ confidence,
attitudes, and beliefs regarding vaccines
and recommended vaccinations; (3)
Surveys of provider attitudes and beliefs
towards vaccination; and (4) Integration
of data from all existing systems to track
trends of vaccination confidence over
time and to detect variations across time
and geography.
parent and community efforts that seek
to promote vaccine confidence and
vaccination.
2.4 NVAC recommends support for a
community of practice or network of
stakeholders who are actively taking
steps to foster or grow vaccine
confidence and vaccination; such a
network can foster partnerships and
encourage sharing of resources and best
practices.
Focus Area 2: Communication and
Community Strategies
2.1 NVAC recommends healthcare
providers, immunization programs, and
those involved in promoting
recommended vaccinations actively
reinforce that vaccination according to
the Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices (ACIP)
recommended schedule is the social
norm and not the exception.
Misperceptions that vaccination in line
with the ACIP recommended schedule
is not the norm should be appropriately
addressed.
2.2 NVAC recommends consistent
communications assessment and
feedback pertaining to vaccine
confidence. These include:
2.2.1 Creation of a Communication
Assessment Infrastructure to assess
vaccine sentiment and provide timely,
accurate and actionable information
related to vaccination confidence and
acceptance to relevant stakeholders.
This system should have the capability
to regularly assess vaccine-related
messaging environment (e.g., to identify
new or emerging concerns and
questions) to assess understanding and
effectiveness of population education
and information materials and
resources.
2.2.2 Identification, evaluation and
validation of communication resources
and approaches in terms of their effects
on enhancing vaccine and vaccination
confidence so that effective (‘‘evidencebased/evidence-informed’’)
interventions and best practices can be
shared and more widely used.
2.2.3 Creation of a repository of
evidenced-based best practices for
informing, educating, and
communicating with parents and others
in ways that foster or increase vaccine
or vaccination confidence. This
repository would be maintained and
expanded as future evidence is
compiled regarding messages, materials,
and interventions that positively affect
vaccine or vaccination confidence.
2.3 NVAC recommends the
development of systems to support
3.1 NVAC recommends the
development and deployment of
evidence-based materials and toolkits
for providers to address parent
questions and concerns. These materials
and toolkits should continue to be
revised to incorporate the latest science
and research.
3.1.1 A repository of evidence-based
effective practices for providers should
be an output of this effort.
3.2 NVAC recommends curriculum
and communication training that
focuses on vaccine confidence (e.g.,
strategies and approaches for
establishing or building confidence) be
developed and made available for
healthcare providers, including doctors,
nurses, alternative providers, and
ancillary care providers.
3.2.1 This training should
encompass ‘‘providers-in-training,’’
such as students, residents, and interns
as well as currently practicing
physicians, nurses, and other healthcare
providers through Continuing Medical
Education (CMEs).
3.2.2 Clear and accessible
information on vaccinations, the
schedule and any changes to the
immunization schedule should be
developed specifically for providers and
made available to them through
resources they utilize most.
3.3 NVAC recommends the
development of: (i) Provisional billing
codes for vaccine counseling when
vaccination is ultimately not given; and
(ii) Pay for performance initiatives and
incentives as measured by: (a)
Establishment of an immunizing
standard within a practice; and (b)
Continued improvement in
immunization coverage rates within a
provider’s practice.
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Focus Area 3: Healthcare Provider
Strategies
Focus Area 4: Policy Strategies
4.1 NVAC recommends states and
territories with existing personal belief
exemption policies should assess their
policies to assure that exemptions are
only available after appropriate parent
education and acknowledgement of the
associated risks of not vaccinating, to
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06APN1
18426
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 65 / Monday, April 6, 2015 / Notices
their child and community. Policies that
do not do this should be strengthened.
4.1.1 Increased efforts should be
made to educate the public and state
legislatures on the safety and value of
vaccines, the importance of
recommended vaccinations and the
ACIP schedule, and the risks posed by
low or under-vaccination in
communities and schools.
4.2 NVAC recommends information
on vaccination rates, vaccination
exemptions, and other preventative
health measures (e.g., whether a school
has a school nurse, etc.) for an
educational institution be made
available to parents.
4.2.1 Encourage educational
institutions and childcare facilities to
report vaccination rates publicly (e.g.,
via a school health grade or report).
4.3 NVAC recommends ‘‘on-time
vaccination’’ should be included as a
Quality Measure for all health plans,
public and private, as a first line
indicator of vaccine confidence. NVAC
acknowledges that other issues, such as
access, can also effect on time
vaccination.
Final Recommendation
5.1 The NVAC recommends that the
National Vaccine Program Office
(NVPO) should work with federal and
non-federal partners to develop an
implementation plan to address vaccine
confidence, including metrics, and
report back to NVAC on progress,
annually.
tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
II. Request for Comment
NVPO, on behalf of the NVAC
Vaccine Confidence Working Group,
requests input on the draft report and
draft recommendations. Please limit
your comments to three (3) pages.
III. Potential Responders
HHS invites input from a broad range
of stakeholders including individuals
and organizations that have interests in
immunization efforts and the role of
HHS in advancing those efforts.
Examples of potential responders
include, but are not limited to, the
following:
—General public;
—advocacy groups, non-profit
organizations, and public interest
organizations;
—academics, professional societies, and
healthcare organizations;
—public health officials and
immunization program managers;
—pediatric provider groups including
all physician and non-physician
providers that administer healthcare
services to children, including
pharmacists; and
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18:14 Apr 03, 2015
Jkt 235001
—representatives from the private
sector, including those from health
insurance organizations.
When responding, please self-identify
with any of the above or other categories
(include all that apply) and your name.
Anonymous submissions will not be
considered. Written submissions should
not exceed three to five (3–5) pages.
Please do not send proprietary,
commercial, financial, business,
confidential, trade secret, or personal
information.
Dated: March 31, 2015.
Bruce Gellin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health,
Director, National Vaccine Program Office,
Executive Secretary, National Vaccine
Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 2015–07778 Filed 4–3–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150–44–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
In compliance with section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 concerning
opportunity for public comment on
proposed collections of information, the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA)
will publish periodic summaries of
proposed projects. To request more
information on the proposed projects or
to obtain a copy of the information
collection plans, call the SAMHSA
Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276–
1243.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collections of information
are necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
of the burden of the proposed collection
of information; (c) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
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Proposed Project: Notification of Intent
To Use Schedule III, IV, or V Opioid
Drugs for the Maintenance and
Detoxification Treatment of Opiate
Addiction Under 21 U.S.C. 823(g)(2)
(OMB No. 0930–0234)—Extension
The Drug Addiction Treatment Act of
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amended the Controlled Substances Act
(21 U.S.C. 823(g)(2)) to permit
practitioners (physicians) to seek and
obtain waivers to prescribe certain
approved narcotic treatment drugs for
the treatment of opiate addiction. The
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and certification requirements as well as
an interagency notification review
process for physicians who seek
waivers. The legislation was amended
in 2005 to eliminate the patient limit for
physicians in group practices, and in
2006, to permit certain physicians to
treat up to 100 patients.
To implement these provisions,
SAMHSA developed a notification form
(SMA–167) that facilitates the
submission and review of notifications.
The form provides the information
necessary to determine whether
practitioners (i.e., independent
physicians) meet the qualifications for
waivers set forth under the new law.
Use of this form will enable physicians
to know they have provided all
information needed to determine
whether practitioners are eligible for a
waiver.
However, there is no prohibition on
use of other means to provide requisite
information. The Secretary will convey
notification information and
determinations to the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA), which will
assign an identification number to
qualifying practitioners; this number
will be included in the practitioner’s
registration under 21 U.S.C. 823(f).
Practitioners may use the form for
three types of notification: (a) New, (b)
immediate, and (c) to notify of their
intent to treat up to 100 patients. Under
‘‘new’’ notifications, practitioners may
make their initial waiver requests to
SAMHSA. ‘‘Immediate’’ notifications
inform SAMHSA and the Attorney
General of a practitioner’s intent to
prescribe immediately to facilitate the
treatment of an individual (one) patient
under 21 U.S.C. 823(g)(2)(E)(ii). Finally,
the form may be used by physicians
with waivers to certify their need and
intent to treat up to 100 patients.
The form collects data on the
following items: Practitioner name; state
medical license number and DEA
registration number; address of primary
location, telephone and fax numbers;
email address; name and address of
E:\FR\FM\06APN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 65 (Monday, April 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18424-18426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07778]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Solicitation of Written Comments on the National Vaccine Advisory
Committee's Draft Report and Draft Recommendations for Consideration
for Addressing the State of Vaccine Confidence in the United States
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Health, National Vaccine Program Office, Department of Health and Human
Services
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: 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 (HHS) as the Director of the
National Vaccine Program. The National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) is
located within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH),
Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS). NVPO provides leadership and fosters collaboration among the
various federal agencies involved in vaccine and immunization
activities. The NVPO also supports the National Vaccine Advisory
Committee (NVAC). The NVAC advises and makes recommendations to the ASH
in her capacity as the Director of National Vaccine Program on matters
related to vaccine program responsibilities.
Recognizing that immunizations are given across the lifespan and
there are likely to be important differences in vaccine acceptance at
different stages of life, in February of 2013 the National Vaccine
Advisory Committee accepted an initial charge from the Assistant
Secretary for Health (ASH) to report on how confidence in vaccines
impacts the optimal use of recommended childhood vaccines in the United
States, including reaching Healthy People 2020 immunization coverage
targets. Focus of such a report may include understanding the
determinants of vaccination acceptance among parents, what HHS should
be doing to improve parental confidence in vaccine recommendations and
how to best measure confidence in vaccine and vaccination to inform and
evaluate interventions in the future.
Through a series of teleconferences, electronic communications,
presentations and public discussions during the NVAC meetings, a
working group identified a number of draft recommendations to further
understand and address issues of vaccine confidence in the United
States.
On behalf of NVAC, NVPO is soliciting public comment on the draft
report and draft recommendations from a variety of stakeholders,
including the general public, for consideration by the NVAC as they
develop their final recommendations to the ASH. It is anticipated that
the draft report and draft recommendations, as revised with
consideration given to public comment and stakeholder input, will be
presented to the NVAC for adoption in June 2015 at the quarterly NVAC
meeting.
DATES: Comments for consideration by the NVAC should be received no
later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2015.
ADDRESSES:
(1) The draft report and draft recommendations are available on the
Web at https://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/subgroups/nvac-vaccine-confidence-wg.html.
(2) Electronic responses are preferred and may be addressed to:
vcwg@hhs.gov.
(3) Written responses should be addressed to: National Vaccine
Program Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200
Independence Avenue SW., Room 733G, Washington, DC 20201. Attn: Vaccine
Confidence Working Group.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Vaccine Program Office,
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health,
[[Page 18425]]
Department of Health and Human Services; telephone (202) 690-5566; fax
(202) 690-4631; email: vcwg@hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Vaccination confidence is one of a number of factors that affect
individual and population-level willingness to accept a vaccine.
Vaccine confidence means having confidence in the safety and efficacy
of a vaccine, having confidence in the competence of the health
professionals who administer the vaccine, and having trust in the
motivations of the policy-makers who decide which vaccines are needed
and when. Vaccine confidence has been shown to influence vaccine
decision making, but to what extent remains unclear. This is partly due
to a lack of consensus on how best to quantify the confidence of an
individual and a population. Gaining this understanding along with
identifying factors which drive public confidence is critical for
assessing the magnitude of the problem in the U.S., as well as
designing and evaluating potential intervention strategies.
Through their analysis and discussion, the NVAC proposes the
following recommendations:
Focus Area 1: Measuring and Tracking Vaccine Confidence
1.1 NVAC recommends development of an ``index,'' composed of a
number of individual and social dimensions, to measure vaccine
confidence. This index should be capable of (1) a rapid, reliable and
valid surveillance of national vaccine confidence; (2) detection and
identification of variations in vaccine confidence at the community
level; and (3) diagnosis of the key dimensions that affect vaccine
confidence.
1.2 NVAC recommends continuing the use of existing measures for
vaccine confidence, including systems that measure vaccine coverage as
well as vaccine-related confidence, attitudes and beliefs while the
science of understanding and tracking vaccine confidence is being
advanced.
1.3 NVAC recommends the development of measures and methods to
analyze the mass media environment and social media conversations to
identify topics of concern to parents, healthcare providers, and
members of the public.
1.4 NVAC recommends that existing approaches and systems for
monitoring vaccination coverages and vaccine-related cognitions,
attitudes, and behaviors be strengthened and enhanced. These include:
(1) Immunization Information Systems (IIS) and Electronic Health
Records (EHRs) to collect and capture delays and refusals; (2) Reliable
and valid measures (or surveys) of cognitive factors, such as adults
and parents' confidence, attitudes, and beliefs regarding vaccines and
recommended vaccinations; (3) Surveys of provider attitudes and beliefs
towards vaccination; and (4) Integration of data from all existing
systems to track trends of vaccination confidence over time and to
detect variations across time and geography.
Focus Area 2: Communication and Community Strategies
2.1 NVAC recommends healthcare providers, immunization programs,
and those involved in promoting recommended vaccinations actively
reinforce that vaccination according to the Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended schedule is the social norm
and not the exception. Misperceptions that vaccination in line with the
ACIP recommended schedule is not the norm should be appropriately
addressed.
2.2 NVAC recommends consistent communications assessment and
feedback pertaining to vaccine confidence. These include:
2.2.1 Creation of a Communication Assessment Infrastructure to
assess vaccine sentiment and provide timely, accurate and actionable
information related to vaccination confidence and acceptance to
relevant stakeholders. This system should have the capability to
regularly assess vaccine-related messaging environment (e.g., to
identify new or emerging concerns and questions) to assess
understanding and effectiveness of population education and information
materials and resources.
2.2.2 Identification, evaluation and validation of communication
resources and approaches in terms of their effects on enhancing vaccine
and vaccination confidence so that effective (``evidence-based/
evidence-informed'') interventions and best practices can be shared and
more widely used.
2.2.3 Creation of a repository of evidenced-based best practices
for informing, educating, and communicating with parents and others in
ways that foster or increase vaccine or vaccination confidence. This
repository would be maintained and expanded as future evidence is
compiled regarding messages, materials, and interventions that
positively affect vaccine or vaccination confidence.
2.3 NVAC recommends the development of systems to support parent
and community efforts that seek to promote vaccine confidence and
vaccination.
2.4 NVAC recommends support for a community of practice or network
of stakeholders who are actively taking steps to foster or grow vaccine
confidence and vaccination; such a network can foster partnerships and
encourage sharing of resources and best practices.
Focus Area 3: Healthcare Provider Strategies
3.1 NVAC recommends the development and deployment of evidence-
based materials and toolkits for providers to address parent questions
and concerns. These materials and toolkits should continue to be
revised to incorporate the latest science and research.
3.1.1 A repository of evidence-based effective practices for
providers should be an output of this effort.
3.2 NVAC recommends curriculum and communication training that
focuses on vaccine confidence (e.g., strategies and approaches for
establishing or building confidence) be developed and made available
for healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, alternative
providers, and ancillary care providers.
3.2.1 This training should encompass ``providers-in-training,''
such as students, residents, and interns as well as currently
practicing physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers through
Continuing Medical Education (CMEs).
3.2.2 Clear and accessible information on vaccinations, the
schedule and any changes to the immunization schedule should be
developed specifically for providers and made available to them through
resources they utilize most.
3.3 NVAC recommends the development of: (i) Provisional billing
codes for vaccine counseling when vaccination is ultimately not given;
and (ii) Pay for performance initiatives and incentives as measured by:
(a) Establishment of an immunizing standard within a practice; and (b)
Continued improvement in immunization coverage rates within a
provider's practice.
Focus Area 4: Policy Strategies
4.1 NVAC recommends states and territories with existing personal
belief exemption policies should assess their policies to assure that
exemptions are only available after appropriate parent education and
acknowledgement of the associated risks of not vaccinating, to
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their child and community. Policies that do not do this should be
strengthened.
4.1.1 Increased efforts should be made to educate the public and
state legislatures on the safety and value of vaccines, the importance
of recommended vaccinations and the ACIP schedule, and the risks posed
by low or under-vaccination in communities and schools.
4.2 NVAC recommends information on vaccination rates, vaccination
exemptions, and other preventative health measures (e.g., whether a
school has a school nurse, etc.) for an educational institution be made
available to parents.
4.2.1 Encourage educational institutions and childcare facilities
to report vaccination rates publicly (e.g., via a school health grade
or report).
4.3 NVAC recommends ``on-time vaccination'' should be included as a
Quality Measure for all health plans, public and private, as a first
line indicator of vaccine confidence. NVAC acknowledges that other
issues, such as access, can also effect on time vaccination.
Final Recommendation
5.1 The NVAC recommends that the National Vaccine Program Office
(NVPO) should work with federal and non-federal partners to develop an
implementation plan to address vaccine confidence, including metrics,
and report back to NVAC on progress, annually.
II. Request for Comment
NVPO, on behalf of the NVAC Vaccine Confidence Working Group,
requests input on the draft report and draft recommendations. Please
limit your comments to three (3) pages.
III. Potential Responders
HHS invites input from a broad range of stakeholders including
individuals and organizations that have interests in immunization
efforts and the role of HHS in advancing those efforts.
Examples of potential responders include, but are not limited to,
the following:
--General public;
--advocacy groups, non-profit organizations, and public interest
organizations;
--academics, professional societies, and healthcare organizations;
--public health officials and immunization program managers;
--pediatric provider groups including all physician and non-physician
providers that administer healthcare services to children, including
pharmacists; and
--representatives from the private sector, including those from health
insurance organizations.
When responding, please self-identify with any of the above or
other categories (include all that apply) and your name. Anonymous
submissions will not be considered. Written submissions should not
exceed three to five (3-5) pages. Please do not send proprietary,
commercial, financial, business, confidential, trade secret, or
personal information.
Dated: March 31, 2015.
Bruce Gellin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Director, National Vaccine
Program Office, Executive Secretary, National Vaccine Advisory
Committee.
[FR Doc. 2015-07778 Filed 4-3-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-44-P
