The National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), formerly known as the National Immunization Program until April 2006, is charged with responsibility for the planning, coordination, and conduct of

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-se ...

activities in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. NCIRD is a part of the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...

, located in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, and housed in the CDC's Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID). The National Center for Immunization provides consultation, training, statistical, promotional, educational,

epidemiological Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...

, and technical services to assist state and local health departments across the US in planning, developing, contracting and implementing immunization programs.

Mandate

NCIRD supports and supervises state and local agencies working on immunization activities and commercial contracting for

vaccine A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified.

supply and distribution. NCIRD supports a national framework for surveillance of diseases for which immunizing agents are increasingly becoming available from commercial

pharmaceutical A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field an ...

companies, and assists health departments in developing vaccine information management systems to facilitate identification of children whose parents may have not complied with local

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 ...

laws. NCIRD helps parents and healthcare providers ensure compliance with

vaccination laws 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 ...

so that all children without health or religious exemptions can be immunized at specific ages in full compliance with local laws. NCIRD also administers research and operational programs for the prevention and control of vaccine-preventable diseases, assesses vaccination levels in state and local areas, and monitors the safety and efficacy of vaccines by linking vaccine administration information with

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

outbreak patterns and

adverse event An adverse event (AE) is any untoward medical occurrence in a patient or clinical investigation subject administered a pharmaceutical product and which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with this treatment. An adverse event can ther ...

mandated reporting requirements.

National Immunization Program reorganization

In May 1993,

Secretary of Health and Human Services The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...

Donna Shalala Donna Edna Shalala ( ; born February 14, 1941) is an American politician and academic who served in the Carter and Clinton administrations, as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. Shalala is a recipient of the Presid ...

announced that the division of immunization would be moved from the Center for Prevention Services to the office of the director and reestablished as the National Immunization Program.Sternberg, Steve. "CDC plans big push for vaccination]". ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution''. May 7, 1993. p. C3. The director of the division of immunization, Dr. Walter Orenstein, was the first director of the National Immunization Program. In April 2006, the National Immunization Program became the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). At the time, NCIRD was led by

Anne Schuchat Anne Schuchat (born 1960) is an American medical doctor. She is a former rear admiral and assistant surgeon general in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She also served as the principal deputy director of the Centers f ...

, MD, who earlier had been the director of the NIP since December 2005. The changes reorganized the NIP into five divisions and expand its activities. High visibility NIP activities have been retained, including its support for the

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a committee within the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that provides advice and guidance on effective control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S. c ...

(ACIP) and

Vaccines for Children Program The Vaccines for Children Program (VFC) is a federally funded program in the United States providing no-cost vaccines to children who lack health insurance or who otherwise cannot afford the cost of the vaccination. The VFC program was created b ...

. NCIRD's proposed mission is to prevent disease, disability, and death through immunization and control of respiratory and related diseases. The new center will support both domestic and global immunization and respiratory disease prevention and control priorities, and will link epidemiology and laboratory science around vaccine-preventable diseases and acute respiratory infections with prevention and control programs and strong communication science. NCIRD will also work within CDC to synthesize vaccine-related information from other parts of CDC with immunization expertise.

NCIRD divisions

NCIRD has five divisions: * Division of Bacterial Diseases (DBD) * Division of Viral Diseases (DVD) * Global Immunization Division (GID) * Immunization Services Division (ISD) * Influenza Division (ID)

Roadmap to more robust vaccine programs

NCIRD director Schuchat has indicated a willingness to expand immunization surveillance and enforce

vaccination schedule A vaccination schedule is a series of vaccinations, including the timing of all doses, which may be either recommended or compulsory, depending on the country of residence. A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to produce active immunity to ...

compliance, "I think we have a long way to go with adolescent immunization programs, as well as adult programs... There are so many opportunities for health impact in this group, and the new vaccines really offer us this whole new chance to revitalize health care for adolescents and prevention as an adolescent health issue." Incorporating new vaccines into routine practice became a big priority for the NCIRD under Shuchat's leadership.

References

External links

*
Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
account on USAspending.gov
HHS.gov
- 'National Vaccine Program',

Centers for Disease Control The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...