§ 266-a. The 21st century workgroup for disease elimination and
reduction. The 21st century workgroup for disease elimination and
reduction is hereby created within the department. The workgroup shall:

1. Be comprised of experts within the department's bureau of
immunization, experts on the immunization advisory council and other
experts the commissioner deems appropriate, charged with the mission of
reviewing existing vaccines, the status of international research and
development for vaccines likely to be candidates for the pharmaceutical
marketplace, and to review the status of health threats which could be
addressed by the development of vaccines;

2. Study the severity, frequency of occurrence, likelihood of
recurrence, existing animal vaccines and potential human vaccines for
tuberculosis, eastern equine encephalitis virus, Lyme disease, human
immunodeficiency virus, and any other disease or virus the commissioner
deems appropriate;

3. Consult with national vaccine and immunization policy making
organizations, including but not limited to, the advisory committee on
immunization practices under the centers for disease control and
prevention, the national institute of health and the national institute
of allergy and infectious diseases;

4. Apply for grants, accept gifts from private and public sources for
purposes set forth herein; and

5. Report every three years, commencing January first, two thousand
eighteen, to the commissioner, the temporary president of the senate,
the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the senate standing committee
on health, and the chair of the assembly health committee.