This study establishes whether the immunisation with hexavalent vaccines increased the short term risk of sudden unexpected deaths (SUD) in infants in Italy, following the signal of an association between vaccination in the second year of life with a hexavalent vaccine and SUD in the two days following vaccination reported in Germany in 2003.
Current trends show both progress and challenges in fighting the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in Europe according to ECDC’s analysis on the state of antibiotic resistance in Europe. Since 2008, ECDC has been coordinating the European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) – a European health initiative that promotes prudent use of antibiotics. On the occasion of the World Health Day 2011, ECDC Director Marc Sprenger presented the ‘Situation update on antibiotic resistance’ to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
In his speech today at the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers responsible for health, ECDC Director Marc Sprenger highlighted these challenges and encouraged countries to maintain investment in public health and to work toward smarter and better cooperation.
From 1 April 2011, nearly six years after it became operational, ECDC changes its organisational structure. The reorganisation aims at a greater flexibility towards newly arising priorities and further strengthening the disease-specific work at ECDC.
ECDC has been honoured to receive the 2011 Anders Gustâv Minnesfond Award. The award of SEK 50 000 kr was received by ECDC Director Marc Sprenger in a ceremony at ECDC’s premises in Solna on 30 March.
ECDC Director Marc Sprenger and WHO/Europe Regional Director Zsuzsanna Jakab have signed an Administrative Agreement between ECDC and WHO/Europe during the 8th Senior Officials Meeting of the European Commission (EC) and World Health Organisation (WHO), held in Brussels on 24-25 March 2011.
Travel patterns are an important source of information to be considered when assessing the risk of spread of infectious disease outbreaks. However, local and regional particularities need to be taken into account.
Vaccination helps to prevent diseases and, above all, saves lives. This was the message at an expert meeting on childhood immunisation organised by the Hungarian Presidency. ECDC Director Marc Sprenger stressed the importance of successful vaccination programmes across Europe and future challenges.
ECDC organises a briefing on its preparedness and response activities, combined with a workshop ‘Detection and assessment of public health threats in the European Union’.
This will be the first joint meeting of the EARS-Net and HAI-Net Coordination groups. The meeting will address epidemiological, microbiological and technical aspects related to surveillance and reporting of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections.