In order to maintain safe school environments and minimise student and staff absences, it is important to continue ensuring the prevention of the transmission of respiratory viruses such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), norovirus and SARS-CoV-2.
Globally, as of 9 August, 19 cases of polio due to wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and 223 cases due to circulating vaccine derived poliovirus (cVDPV) have been reported this year. In 2022, the cVDPV cases have been reported in 15 countries, with 93% of the cases attributed to cVDPV type 2 (cVDPV2).
Following the joint statement from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on 11 July 2022, ECDC has released Preliminary public health considerations for COVID-19 vaccination strategies in the second half of 2022. ECDC, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, has also published Operational considerations for respiratory virus surveillance in Europe.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have updated public health recommendations on the use of additional booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines this summer and in the upcoming autumn and winter seasons.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) are recommending that second booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines be considered for people between 60 and 79 years old and people with medical conditions putting them at high risk of severe disease.
ECDC provides support to EU/EEA countries in monitoring their progress towards the hepatitis elimination targets and has just published a report based on the second data collection.
New SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest and concern have continued to emerge in the first few months of 2022 and monitoring their circulation in all countries through genomic surveillance remains important.