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ECDC releases COVID-19 vaccination rollout strategies for EU/EEA
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.
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First COVID-19 vaccine authorised for use in the European Union
ECDC welcomes the authorisation of the first vaccine against COVID-19 in EU/EEA. We have been looking forward to this moment for a long time.
On 21 December, EMA recommended granting a conditional marketing authorisation for the vaccine Comirnaty, developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people from 16 years of age. On the same day, the European Commission has granted market authorisation for EU-wide use.
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EU and AU sign partnership to scale up preparedness for health emergencies
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is today launching a new four-year partnership initiative in order to enhance mutual engagement and contribute to durably strengthening Africa CDC capacities in preparedness and response to health threats.
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ECDC Management Board Chair and Deputy Chair re-elected
Dr Anni Virolainen Julkunen, Management Board member representing Finland, was re-elected as Chair of the ECDC Management Board at the Board’s meeting on 25 November 2020.
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ECDC and WHO call for improved HIV testing in Europe
The number of people living with undiagnosed HIV is increasing in the WHO European Region. According to data published today by ECDC and the WHO/Europe, more than 136 000 people were newly diagnosed in 2019 – roughly 20% of these were diagnosed in the EU/EAA and 80% in the eastern part of the European Region. Every second HIV diagnosis (53%) happens at a late stage of the infection, when the immune system has already started to fail. This is a sign that testing strategies in the Region are not working properly to diagnose HIV early.
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ECDC opens ESCAIDE 2020 digital conference
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is today opening the 2020 European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology (ESCAIDE). A key theme at the ESCAIDE conference is COVID-19, with two plenaries that will focus on the epidemiology, societal impact and effectiveness of measures taken with respect to the pandemic.
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Outbreak declared over: 11th Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
On 18 November 2020, the 11th outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was declared over. There have been 130 cases, including 55 deaths reported from 13 health zones in the Equateur Province since the beginning of the outbreak almost six months ago.
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Antimicrobial resistance and consumption remains high in the EU/EEA and the UK, according to new ECDC data
New data released today by ECDC show that levels of antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial consumption in the EU/EEA and the UK are still of concern, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of Europe.
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World AIDS Day 2020: The way towards 2030: diversified testing to diagnose HIV early
One of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals is to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Still, 2 094 AIDS cases were reported in the EU/EEA during 2019. This shows a significant problem with late diagnosis of HIV infection. Detecting HIV only years after the infection is one reason for on-going transmission in Europe. One in every four AIDS cases occurred long after HIV diagnosis, indicating insufficient linkage to HIV care, access to antiretroviral treatment and adherence support.
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European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) 2020
European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) is a European health initiative coordinated by ECDC. It provides a platform and support for national campaigns on the prudent use of antibiotics in the EU/EEA and is marked each year across Europe on 18 November. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, EAAD will this year consist of a entirely digital campaign.