Terms of reference (TOR) for ACVIP:

I. The new committee shall be called as “IAP Advisory Committee on Vaccines & Immunization Practices (ACVIP)”.

II. The tenure of the committee shall be TWO years. The tenure will last for a full calendar year, i.e. starting from January till December.

III. The committee shall function as a special subcommittee of the academy. 

IV. The committee shall be accountable to IAP executive board.

V. The committee members will be selected by a transparent selection process – by chairperson, President, HSG, VP, President Elect and convener and endorsed by the EB.

VI The applications for the posts of committee members shall be advertized in the official publications and websites of the academy well in advance.  The eligibility and selection criteria are provided below (see Appendix A).

VII. The committee shall have following structure:

Chairperson: One

Convener: One

Members: Five (representing different zones, preferably)

VIII. Selection criteria: The members shall be selected based on following broad criteria:

Training in the field of immunization (including  courses conducted by IAP)  

Affiliation with Govt. sector decision-making  responsibilities

Affiliation with professional body having vaccination recommendations capabilities

Affiliation with international/national agency having vaccination implementation or monitoring responsibilities. 

Other affiliation with field of vaccination with decision-making, implementation, monitoring or recommendations responsibilities.

Publications

Other activity related to immunization

IX. Only the members, convener and chairpersons will have the voting rights in case of any division of votes needed.

X. The committee may be allowed to have a space on IAP Website. Not a separate / independent website.

XI. The website should provide information to general public and fellow members about immunization practices and will also include information for travelers on vaccination. 
 

XII. All the financial expenditure of the committee shall be borne by the parent body, i.e. the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. The sub-committee will not be permitted to open its separate bank account.

XIII. Each member/convener/chairpersons will be needed to sign a “Code of Conduct”(see Appendix A).

XIV. He/she must be abided by all the conditions enlisted in the code. Utmost precaution must be taken to avoid any violation in letter and spirit. Any violation/complaint shall be reviewed by the executive board to take necessary remedial action.

XV. Each member/convener/ chairpersons will be required to declare and resolve any conflicts of interest as per the conditions mentioned in the declaration form (vide Appendix C).

XVI. The committee is entitled to hold a minimum of TWO meetings in a year.

XVII. The committee is not entitle to raise/arrange funds for its working including holding meeting, publications, programs, and other logistics involved in carrying out its duties.

 

Responsibilities:

I. The committee shall frame recommendations in two heads;

A. for our own members about the usage of available licensed vaccines in the country – Primary responsibility

a. The committee shall also devise an annual IAP Immunization Timetable on a yearly named basis.

b. Should respond to the query of members – as and when directed by the COIAP.

B. For the public or society – not contradicting the GoI.

a. Shall formulate the suggestions for the GoI also which shall be sent from CO IAP to concerned departments.

b. Will have meetings with GoI

II. The committee should also come out with white-paper (position paper) for individual vaccines as and when needed

III. The committee shall frame recommendations based entirely on ‘evidence-based’ process.

IV. The detailed recommendations of the committee along with a brief background regarding arriving at a particular recommendation can be published in a small booklet, titled as a “Guidebook of IAP ACVIP” published once in every two years.

V. No donation shall be accepted from any vaccine manufacturer as a financial support to publish guidebook.

VI. The committee shall also help appropriate agencies/committees/organizations/government on other critical aspects related to immunization like AEFI and VPDs surveillance, etc. through CO IAP

VII. The committee shall also provide up-to-date information on vaccination to general public through Parent Website of IAP

VIII. The committee must aggressively counteract any mis-information campaign against vaccines, immunization and immunization programs of the country.