As autumn moves to winter, the WHO/Europe, EC and ECDC are issuing a clear, urgent message: people who remain unprotected against both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza – especially the most vulnerable and at-risk – should take up any offer for vaccination to prevent or mitigate the impact of these co-circulating respiratory infections.
This document describes a risk-based targeted approach to identifying possible avian influenza virus infections through established routine respiratory virus surveillance systems during the winter season 2023/24.
In 2020, the European Commission stressed the importance of continuously monitoring the safety and effectiveness of vaccines in the EU/EEA during the post-authorisation phase, with particular emphasis on COVID-19 vaccines in the context of the ongoing pandemic.