The evidence presented in the article strongly supports the notion that serotype replacement has occurred in invasive pneumococcal disease in most populations and is caused by the vaccine.
Between 21 May and 5 December, 2011, 63 cases of Plasmodium vivax infection have been reported in Greece. The majority of cases (n=57) are reported from the area of Evrotas in Lakonia district, Peloponnese in southern Greece.
On the 22 November 2011, ECDC organised a workshop at the European Parliament to provide policy makers with more information on the facts about seasonal influenza vaccination and on ECDC’s contributions to the implementation of the 2009 Council Recommendation on this subject.
According to the available epidemiological and entomological information, and the arriving winter season, the intensity of malaria transmission in Evrotas, Lakonia in Greece is very low.
The objective of the meeting was to give a strategic and functional view on how the European Influenza Surveillance Network should implement the molecular surveillance of human influenza in Europe in detail and at what level.
Following an earlier consultation document issued in March 2011 the UK’s Secretary of State for Health, along with the UK’s developed administrations (N. Ireland, Scotland and Wales) published a new influenza pandemic strategy on 10 November.
While Europe is experiencing low influenza activity a new study presenting global estimates of the burden of respiratory infections due to seasonal influenza in young children has been published online by the Lancet on the 11 November 2011