News & Views
ECDC Concludes That Vaccination of Risk Groups and Healthcare Workers Should Be Further Strengthened As Seasonal Influenza Spreads Across Europe
Jan 08 2009
Professor Johan Giesecke, ECDCâs Chief Scientist said:
âInfluenza vaccination is important in every winter season and this season is certainly no exception. In fact, early indictors from the first affected countries suggest that this may be the worst influenza season that Europe has seen in the past two or three years. Given these facts, ECDC is emphasising its advice that vaccination of risk groups for influenza, notably older people and those with chronic medical conditions, as well as healthcare workers, is key to mitigating the effects of seasonal influenzaâ.
ECDC surveillance of seasonal influenza
Surveillance of seasonal influenza in Europe is based on reporting of influenza viruses detected by laboratories and networks of sentinel doctors (mostly general practitioners) reporting rates of people consulting with influenza like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infections (ARI). The latter clinical surveillance takes place each winter between week 40 of one year and week 20 of the following year. From a subset of ILI/ARI cases clinical specimens are also collected for virological testing for influenza and some other viruses. This surveillance was developed in Europe as the long-standing European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS), now overseen by ECDC, and is part of the Global Influenza Surveillance Network of WHO.
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