Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Advisory Committee

If you would like to learn more about this group or have a question related to this topic, contact the chairperson listed below. Please search by last name in the Membership Directory to locate an email address or contact them through the online member forum ACHA Connect [login required].

Please note: ACHA Regular Individual and Student members may be appointed by the ACHA President to Board Advisory Committees and Ad Hoc Committees (usually Task Forces) unless otherwise specified in the ACHA Bylaws. Associate members may not be appointed to these committees.

View committee and task force charges here.

About the Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Committee

The Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD) Board Advisory Committee leads the American College Health Association (ACHA) in addressing vaccine-preventable diseases. It works with ACHA staff to develop, review, revise, and disseminate – as appropriate – any vaccine-related resources and assist in educational awareness to inform members about evolving vaccine developments. 

Its work is closely synchronized with that of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), to which the committee chairs are dually appointed as ACHA’s Liaison Representatives. As an advisory committee with significant responsibility for stewarding the relationship between ACHA and CDC, VPD Committee leadership may not turn over as frequently as other committees.

Committee members may serve as members of the committee, committee co-chairs and primary ACIP liaisons, and liaisons to additional ACIP work groups.

Specific chair duties include:

• Holding regular committee meetings
• Overseeing the annual review of relevant ACHA guidelines, including Immunization Recommendations for College Students (IRC) and Tuberculosis Screening and Targeted Testing of College and University Students
• Serving as ACHA liaison representatives to ACIP
• Organizing the committee’s annual guaranteed session at ACHA’s Annual Meeting
• Responding to relevant media inquiries at ACHA staff request
• Submitting annual reports and budgets to the ACHA national office as required

VPD Committee members’ participation is critically important to the success of the committee and ACHA. Members are appointed by the ACHA Board, and like chairs, they ensure VPD Committee activity is aligned with CDC recommendations. Member activities and typical time outlay of 10-14 hours per year is as follows.

Committee members are asked to participate, under the direction of the co-chairs, in the following activities: 

• Committee meetings and email communication (4-5 hours per year)
• Review and update of IRC and TB guidelines (4-6 hours per year, per guidelines)
• Planning for the committee's guaranteed Annual Meeting session (2-3 hours per year)

Committee members may serve on an ACIP work group. This is an exciting opportunity to represent college health on a national level and work with other major organizations. Committee members will be appointed to ACIP work groups on an as-needed basis.