This report summarises the results from two epidemiological studies conducted by the Vaccine Adverse Event Surveillance and Communication (VAESCO) Consortium undertaken in eight European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) countries in order to investigate a possible association between an unexpected increase in narcolepsy cases following the use of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccines. Narcolepsy is an underdiagnosed disease of widely unknown etiology.

This report summarises the results from two epidemiological studies to investigate a possible association between an unexpected increase in narcolepsy cases following the use of the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccines. The studies were conducted by the Vaccine Adverse Event Surveillance and Communication (VAESCO) Consortium under the auspices of ECDC and undertaken in Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. This Technical Report In Brief accompanies the full Report ‘Narcolepsy in association with pandemic influenza vaccination- A multi-country European epidemiological investigation’.

In support of the EU Council Recommendation of December 2009 on seasonal influenza vaccination, this technical report provides data on vaccination policies and strategies, vaccination coverage data, and data on barriers to vaccination for seasonal influenza in the EU/EEA countries.

This report which is part of the RAGIDA project (Risk Assessment Guidance for Infectious Diseases transmitted on Aircraft) provides viable options for decision-makers when faced with the choice of whether to contact trace air travellers and crew that were potentially exposed to infectious diseases during a flight.

Annual influenza vaccination of risk groups has been common practice in Europe and elsewhere for many years. Routine influenza immunisation of healthy children has been recommended in some countries, to reduce morbidity among children with the potential additional benefit of reducing the spread of disease and thus indirectly protect adults at high risk of severe influenza.

​This report presents the results of the influenza virus antiviral (AV) susceptibility external quality assessment (EQA) which was held for European reference laboratories.

​In September/October 2013, the European Reference Laboratory Network for Human Influenza (ERLI-Net) conducted an external quality assessment (EQA) for the rapid detection of influenza virus, its isolation and culture.

This report provides an update on seasonal influenza immunisation policies and vaccination coverage rates in EU/EEA Member States for the 2012–13 influenza season.

A consultation with European and international public health experts was convened to review data presented in newly conducted systematic reviews and meta-analyses regarding influenza antivirals, in order to develop an ECDC Expert Opinion.

Overview of vaccination recommendations and coverage rates in the EU Member States for the 2013–14 and 2014–15 influenza seasons.