The Military Vaccine Agency (MILVAX) is a U.S. government program operating within the Office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General which supports all five

U.S. Armed Services The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

to enhance military medical readiness by coordinating

U.S. Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...

(DoD)

immunization Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an infectious agent (known as the immunogen). When this system is exposed to molecules that are foreign to the body, called ''non-sel ...

(

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...

) programs worldwide. MILVAX works to protect servicemember health by facilitating vaccine information, education, scientific understanding, and product quality.

Operations

MILVAX coordinates and assesses U.S. military immunization programs worldwide through a variety of mechanisms, including an integrated electronic immunization tracking program. It is charged with safeguarding the shipping and handling of temperature-sensitive medical products within the military system. MILVAX synchronizes information among the five US Armed Services and senior DoD staff elements, whom it assists with policy development, especially as related to

bio-defense Biodefense refers to measures to restore biosecurity to a group of organisms who are, or may be, subject to biological threats or infectious diseases. Biodefense is frequently discussed in the context of biowar or bioterrorism, and is generally ...

and

pandemic A pandemic () is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. A widespread endemic (epidemiology), endemic disease wi ...

issues. It provides education for military and other government healthcare workers and to the public through its website and call-in service. MILVAX operates an "Immunization University" in coordination with the Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network to provide an informal collection of guidelines and training resources for medical staff. The University offers training on vaccine products and immunization services through distance learning and on-site classes sponsored by MILVAX.

References

External links

MILVAX Website
{{US Army MEDCOM navbox Vaccination-related organizations Disaster preparedness in the United States Military medical organizations of the United States Vaccination in the United States