§ 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:

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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.