Question Number: 213
PDR Number: SQ22-000583
Date Submitted: 21/11/2022
Department or Body: Department of Health
The statutory advisory committee that provides advice to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on vaccines is the Advisory Committee on Vaccines (ACV). Neither the ACV and Advisory Committee on Medicines Scheduling (ACMS) approve vaccines, and the latter committee does not include vaccines in its remit. Statutory advisory committees do not approve items put before them for consideration. The functions of the ACV is to provide advice and to make recommendations to the Minister or the delegate of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care on issues relating to the safety, quality and efficacy of vaccine. The advice forms only part of the information that is available to a TGA delegate making a regulatory decision under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. No member has indicated through declarations of interest, or via other communications, that they have received direct or indirect payments from organisations who manufacture vaccines. Therefore, the TGA is not aware of payments to members of either committee.
