Between 15 August and 7 December 2020, 561 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus detections were reported in 15 EU/EEA countries and UK in wild birds, poultry and captive birds, with Germany (n=370), Denmark (n=65), the Netherlands (n=57) being the most affected countries.

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 6-12 December 2020 and includes updates on COVID-19, measles, and seasonal influenza.

This second update of the original document integrates the experience of maintaining safe and sufficient supply of substances of human origin (SoHO) gained in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and through recent scientific developments in understanding the evolution of the disease.

This is the second report for the 2020–2021 influenza season. As of week 48/2020, only 288 influenza detections across the WHO European Region had been reported to TESSy; 52% type A viruses, with A(H3N2) prevailing over A(H1N1)pdm09, and 48% type B viruses with only two having been ascribed to a lineage, both being B/Victoria. This represents a 96% drop in detections compared to the same period in 2019, probably due to the COVID-19 pandemic and measures introduced to combat it.

This document assesses the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to the general population and medically vulnerable individuals in the EU/EEA and the UK, from the perspective of the upcoming end-of-year festive season.

The ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) is a weekly bulletin for epidemiologists and health professionals on active public health threats. This issue covers the period 29 November-5 December 2020 and includes updates on COVID-19, Legionnaires' disease, polio, seasonal influenza and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

ECDC and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety were invited by the Portuguese authorities to carry out jointly a country visit from 2 to 6 December 2019. The visit followed-up on the Commission's One Health Action Plan against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) published on 29 June 2017, and reviewed the current status of efforts to tackle AMR in Portugal, in particular the development and implementation of national strategies and policies against AMR based on a One Health approach.

This document outlines the initial developments in EU/EEA member states and the UK regarding vaccine deployment plans and national vaccination strategies for COVID-19 vaccines, including interim considerations for priority groups, evidence to be considered for the prioritisation of target groups, logistical considerations and monitoring systems for post-marketing surveillance (e.g. vaccine coverage, safety, effectiveness and acceptance).

This joint ECDC-European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) document aims to support Member States in determining a coordinated approach to reduce the risks related to the movement of people by air within and between the EU/EEA countries and the UK in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and current advice on avoiding non-essential travel.