Search

The 2010/11 seasonal influenza epidemics in Europe are dominated so far by the A(H1N1)2009 viruses which emerged in the 2009 pandemic, although these are now considered seasonal viruses. This is an interim risk assessment and will be up-dated at intervals as more data and analyses emerge.

Likely scenarios and uncertainties in the 2010/2011 influenza season in Europe and beyond.

This report, originally published by WHO/Europe, summarizes ECDC and WHO/Europe's first joint influenza surveillance meeting, held on 7-9 June 2011 and hosted by the Slovenian Ministry of Health.

ECDC produces an annual risk assessment for the seasonal influenza epidemics in Europe. This is following both a recommendation in the report on the handling of the 2009 pandemic adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2011 and the model developed by ECDC during that pandemic. The first EU seasonal influenza risk assessment was published in January 2011, following the start of the influenza season in late November 2010. In 2012, the season started later than in most years, with the first five countries exceeding their epidemic threshold in week 3/2012.

​The virological influenza pattern observed was not consistent enough to make a clear prediction for the 2011-2012 season in Europe. In general, the findings on the impact of influenza in the southern hemisphere in 2011 were reassuring for Europe, and the match of the A(H3N2) viruses with the vaccine was considered good.

This report summarises the results from two epidemiological studies conducted by the Vaccine Adverse Event Surveillance and Communication (VAESCO) Consortium undertaken in eight European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) countries in order to investigate a possible association between an unexpected increase in narcolepsy cases following the use of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccines. Narcolepsy is an underdiagnosed disease of widely unknown etiology.

This report summarises the results from two epidemiological studies to investigate a possible association between an unexpected increase in narcolepsy cases following the use of the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccines. The studies were conducted by the Vaccine Adverse Event Surveillance and Communication (VAESCO) Consortium under the auspices of ECDC and undertaken in Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. This Technical Report In Brief accompanies the full Report ‘Narcolepsy in association with pandemic influenza vaccination- A multi-country European epidemiological investigation’.

The aim of this guidance document is to provide EU/EEA Member States and EU bodies with relevant information to make an informed decision on routine vaccination of healthy children and pregnant women with seasonal influenza vaccine. The options presented in this document are based on a systematic review of the literature and the opinions of a group of independent experts.

Influenza activity continued to increase across Europe, concludes the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview, Week 5, 2013. The epidemics may have passed their peaks in a few countries, although some countries experienced a resurgence of influenza-like-illness rates.

ECDC has produced an annual risk assessment of the seasonal influenza epidemics in Europe since the 2010/11 season following the model developed by ECDC during the 2009 pandemic. It gives an early description of the influenza season in the countries affected earliest, providing guidance and information to countries that are affected later, as influenza progresses across Europe over several months. It describes any specifics of the season, particularly in areas where public health or clinical actions are envisaged, as well as highlights areas of uncertainty where further work is required.