ACIP disseminates information and data concerning its activities in a variety of ways. Since July 2009, live webcasts of all ACIP meetings have been made available on the internet, with an archive maintained on the committee’s website for viewing at any time after a meeting

(http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip/livemeeting-archive.htm). The ACIP website (http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip/default.htm) provides ongoing, detailed information concerning the committee’s activities that is supplemented by letters from CDC to public health officials and physicians and by CDC’s flagship publication, MMWR. CDC media relations and press releases are handled by CDC communications staff. Publications see more (e.g., Epidemiology and Selleckchem DAPT Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases [14]) and guides (e.g., Vaccine Information Statements [15]) provide useful information for clinicians and patients.

Information is also disseminated at professional medical meetings via concerned ACIP Liaison Organizations, e.g. American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Practice, American College of Physicians, American College of Obstetricians–Gynecologists. Members of ACIP communicate via meetings, e-mail and conference calls. ACIP shares information formally with ITAGs in Canada, Mexico and the UK and informally with nascent ITAGs in other countries who have contacted the committee and/or have attended ACIP meetings. Committee members are trained specifically about ACIP’s responsibilities and activities by the ACIP Secretariat using face-to-face training and distance learning techniques. It is not uncommon for a person serving as a liaison representative (e.g., from the American Academy of Pediatrics) to be appointed at a later time as a voting Histone demethylase ACIP member; in this case, the experience brought by service as a liaison representative – attending meetings as well as serving on WGs – provides valuable background

to a new voting committee member. There are no serious constraints or issues concerning ACIP’s activities. Due to its long history ACIP has worked through any structural challenges in years gone by and is now entering an era featuring issues presented by an ever-increasing number of vaccines being developed, increased cost of the total expenditure on vaccines, and societal concerns regarding the number of vaccines. In terms of the operation of the ACIP, especially concerning its appropriate composition, efforts to avoid conflicts of interest and implementation of its vaccine recommendations, we would say that the organization operates very smoothly and is highly respected by all branches of Government, professional organizations and the public. This is due to steady work on the part of CDC staff members and the ACIP Secretariat to bring improvements.