Flu Awareness Week, 21-25 October 2019
The Flu Awareness Week is marked across the WHO European Region every year in October. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination for people’s health and well-being and to increase the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination of people with underlying risk factors.
The Flu Awareness Week is a communication campaign marked across the WHO European Region every year in October. The campaign is organised by the WHO/Europe and aims to increase the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination of people in risk groups. Every April the European Immunization Week is extended, to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination for people’s health and well-being.
ECDC supports the Flu Awareness Week by providing scientific evidence on vaccination.
Why a specific campaign on influenza?
Influenza is usually mild and most people recover quickly, but some people are at high risk of serious complications, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death. The elderly, pregnant women, young children and people with underlying health conditions are more likely than others to develop severe disease if they should be infected. In addition, health care workers are more exposed to different viruses on a daily basis, including the influenza virus, and should be vaccinated to protect themselves and their patients.
Influenza places a substantial burden on the health of people in Europe each year. It is estimated that 30% of the burden of communicable diseases in Europe is due to influenza. Up to 50 million people each year are estimated to have symptomatic influenza in EU/EEA countries and as a consequence between 15 000 – 70 000 are estimated to die from influenza associated causes and on a global level, 290 000-646 000 respiratory deaths are estimated to be related to influenza. In addition, the large number of mild to moderate infections result in work absences, losses to production and pressure on the health and social care services.
Influenza is a disease with high social and economic costs, and vaccination is the best way to prevent the disease. As influenza viruses change, vaccination against influenza is needed every year to keep up with the circulating viruses. In the northern hemisphere, the seasonal influenza circulation is observed between November up to May, so October is the optimal time to receive an influenza vaccination.
Join the initiative to increase vaccination coverage by raising awareness of the importance of vaccination!
Get informed
Influenza disease overview
Factsheet about seasonal influenza
General disease information for public health experts and the general public on seasonal influenza.
Risk groups for severe influenza
Some people are at high risk of serious complications as a result of influenza, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death.
Influenza transmission and virus circulation in Europe
Influenza virus characterisation, September 2019
This is the tenth and final report for the 2018–19 influenza season. As of week 39/2019, 205 947 influenza detections across the WHO European Region had been reported; 99% type A viruses, with A(H1N1)pdm09 prevailing over A(H3N2), and 1.2% type B viruses, with 86 of 165 (52%) ascribed to a lineage being B/Yamagata.
Infographic: Influenza in Europe, Season 2018-2019
Vaccination
Influenza vaccination coverage rates in the EU/EEAArchived
ECDC is collecting, sharing and disseminating information on national vaccination programmes and provides guidance for improving the overall performance of the vaccination systems in EU/EEA Member States. The latest data on vaccination coverage by country in the EU/EEA of different risk- and target groups are available in the reports listed on this page.
Meeting report: Understanding the behavioural aspects and the role of health communication in mitigating the impact of seasonal influenza
The meeting report covers health communication strategies that could be undertaken to better promote influenza prevention measures and the healthcare professionals’ role in the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination.
Vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers and their patients in Europe
The aim of this research project is to have a better understanding of vaccine hesitancy and safety concerns among healthcare vaccine providers and their patients in Europe and to explore the link and potential influence between the two groups.
Let’s talk about hesitancy: enhancing confidence in vaccination and uptake
This guide provides practical evidence-based and peer-reviewed advice for public health programme managers and communicators involved with immunisation services. It identifies ways to enhance people’s confidence in vaccination and addresses common issues which underlie vaccination hesitancy.
Communication on immunisation – building trust
With an emphasis on the concepts of trust and transparency, this guide has been developed to assist those involved in planning and implementing health communication activities to promote immunisation.
Vaccination campaigns
E-learning course: Influenza vaccination campaigns targeting healthcare workers
This online course aims to support the EU/EEA Member States in their planning of annual seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns targeting healthcare workers.