Increased rates of migration to and within the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) in recent years has made the development of migration policy, including health policy, a priority for the region.

In a Council Recommendation adopted by EU health ministers today, ECDC has been called on to implement a number of key actions in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases.

None of the European Union (EU) Member States could demonstrate that they reach the EU target of 75% influenza vaccination coverage for vulnerable groups, according to a new report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

A large measles epidemic has affected the EU/EEA Member States in the past three years, with 44 074 cases reported by 30 Member States between 1 January 2016 and 31 March 2019.

Based on a systematic literature review, ECDC assessed the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of newer and enhanced inactivated seasonal influenza (flu) vaccines among those 18 years or older. These assessed are MF59® adjuvanted, cell-based, high-dose, and recombinant haemagglutinin influenza vaccines.

On 22 December ECDC released the technical report titled ‘COVID-19 vaccination and prioritisation strategies in the EU/EEA’, following the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommendation for authorisation of the vaccine Comirnaty, developed by BioNTech and Pfizer.

Following the conditional marketing authorisation and deployment of the first COVID-19 vaccines in the EU/EEA, all countries have started vaccination campaigns by vaccinating people in priority groups. To monitor the progress of vaccination efforts across the EU/EEA, ECDC has set up a monitoring system for collection of key vaccine rollout indicators.

Vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 disease are well under way in all EU/EEA countries, and more detailed information is now available on the ECDC website.