The Director of the Program shall have the following responsibilities:

(1) Vaccine research The Director of the Program shall, through the plan issued under section 300aa–3 of this title, coordinate and provide direction for research carried out in or through the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of Biologics Research and Review of the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Agency for International Development on means to induce human immunity against naturally occurring infectious diseases and to prevent adverse reactions to vaccines.

(2) Vaccine development The Director of the Program shall, through the plan issued under section 300aa–3 of this title, coordinate and provide direction for activities carried out in or through the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Biologics Research and Review of the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Agency for International Development to develop the techniques needed to produce safe and effective vaccines.

(3) Safety and efficacy testing of vaccines The Director of the Program shall, through the plan issued under section 300aa–3 of this title, coordinate and provide direction for safety and efficacy testing of vaccines carried out in or through the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of Biologics Research and Review of the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Agency for International Development.

(4) Licensing of vaccine manufacturers and vaccines The Director of the Program shall, through the plan issued under section 300aa–3 of this title, coordinate and provide direction for the allocation of resources in the implementation of the licensing program under section 263a of this title.

(5) Production and procurement of vaccines The Director of the Program shall, through the plan issued under section 300aa–3 of this title, ensure that the governmental and non-governmental production and procurement of safe and effective vaccines by the Public Health Service, the Department of Defense, and the Agency for International Development meet the needs of the United States population and fulfill commitments of the United States to prevent human infectious diseases in other countries.

(6) Distribution and use of vaccines The Director of the Program shall, through the plan issued under section 300aa–3 of this title, coordinate and provide direction to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and assistance to States, localities, and health practitioners in the distribution and use of vaccines, including efforts to encourage public acceptance of immunizations and to make health practitioners and the public aware of potential adverse reactions and contraindications to vaccines.

(7) Evaluating the need for and the effectiveness and adverse effects of vaccines and immunization activities The Director of the Program shall, through the plan issued under section 300aa–3 of this title, coordinate and provide direction to the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of Biologics Research and Review of the Food and Drug Administration, the National Center for Health Statistics, the National Center for Health Services Research and Health Care Technology Assessment, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in monitoring the need for and the effectiveness and adverse effects of vaccines and immunization activities.

(8) Coordinating governmental and non-governmental activities The Director of the Program shall, through the plan issued under section 300aa–3 of this title, provide for the exchange of information between Federal agencies involved in the implementation of the Program and non-governmental entities engaged in the development and production of vaccines and in vaccine research and encourage the investment of non-governmental resources complementary to the governmental activities under the Program.

(9) Funding of Federal agencies The Director of the Program shall make available to Federal agencies involved in the implementation of the plan issued under section 300aa–3 of this title funds appropriated under section 300aa–6 of this title to supplement the funds otherwise available to such agencies for activities under the plan.

In carrying out subsection (a) and in preparing the plan under section 300aa–3 of this title, the Director shall consult with all Federal agencies involved in research on and development, testing, licensing, production, procurement, distribution, and use of vaccines.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XXI, § 2102, as added Pub. L. 99–660, title III, § 311(a), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3756; amended Pub. L. 102–531, title III, § 312(d)(13), Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3505; Pub. L. 108–173, title IX, § 900(e)(2)(F), Dec. 8, 2003, 117 Stat. 2372.)