The next meeting of the federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group (TBDWG) will be held on October 27,  from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., ET. This is an online meeting and is open to the public.

During this meeting, the TBDWG will review chapters and the template for the 2020 report to the HHS Secretary and Congress. The agenda will be available on the website prior to the meeting.

Providing Verbal or Written Public Comment

• Written comments and requests to make verbal comments must be received by midnight, ET Friday, October 16.

• For instructions on how to submit a comment, please go to the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group website. Be sure to read all of the instructions that relate to your comment.

Click here to register to attend the meeting.

Nominations for next TBDWG panel due Nov. 5

As 2019-2020 session of the TBDWG draws to a close, nominations are open for the next group of panelists.  The third session will run from 2021-2022.

Nominations for public members of the Working Group must be submitted by November 5.

The following is from the Federal Register:

The TBDWG consists of 14 voting members who represent diverse scientific disciplines and views. The composition includes seven public members and seven federal members. Every effort is made to ensure that the TBDWG is a diverse group of individuals with representation from various geographic locations, racial and ethnic minorities, genders, and persons living with disabilities.

The public members consist of representatives of the following categories:

(1) Physicians and other medical providers with experience in diagnosing and treating tick-borne diseases;

(2) scientists or researchers with expertise;

(3) patients and their family members; and

(4) nonprofit organizations that advocate for patients with respect to tick-borne disease.

Click here for more details about the nomination process.