News

Country Influenza Stakeholders Networks: the movie

9 February 2012

The most efficient way to structurally lower the impact of influenza on a country’s population, is a combined effort by all parties involved. ESWI has been assisting the establishment of such networks in different countries for several years now. It’s Country Influenza Stakeholders Networks (CISN) concept has proven an effective methodology to tackle influenza nationwide and, ultimately, to enhance national public health. To paint a good picture of this concept, ESWI has now produced a CISN documentary, which brings you the concrete examples of influenza stakeholders networks in Finland, Austria and Turkey. The documentary is available online and can be used free of charge.


A separate video production accounts of the successful formation and outcome of the Finnish Influenza Stakeholders Network. This documentary is available here.

Science Inspired Tales by ESWI

27 January 2012

The Science Inspired Tales are a brand new concept, quite different from the regular conference lectures or workshop sessions. On 23 May 2012, the first series of Science Inspired Tales will see ‘performances’ by three renowned scientists, bringing a personal, fascinating, fun and all the more inspiring scientific story. The Science Inspired Tales will be recorded before a live audience in a theatre at the Albert Hall Complex in Brussels. The event is open to everyone, registration is free of charge. Programme, practical info and registration is available here. 


Or download the SIT flyer now.




 

Save the date: 23 May 2012 - European Flu Summit

15 December 2011

23 May 2012 will see the second edition of ESWI’s European Influenza Summit (to be held at the Albert Hall Complex in Brussels). Again the aim of the one-day free of charge meeting will be to provide all influenza partners with an informal platform to exchange good practices and to initiate concrete actions to improve public health protection against influenza. Please visit www.flusummit.org regularly to stay informed of all developments in the programme. Or download the ESWI Flu Summit brochure now.



 

ESWI press release

27 October 2011

Doubting the benefits of influenza vaccines is ethically and scientifically unacceptable



ESWI responsed to recent press statements that question the benefits of influenza vaccines for the elderly. Download the press release here.
ESWI awards prizes for best poster and oral presentations

15 October 2011

To encourage young influenza researchers, ESWI awarded prizes for the best oral and the best poster presentations at the Fourth ESWI Influenza Conference in Malta (11-14 September 2011). All chairs and co-chairs had been asked to cast their votes for the most remarkable presentation (oral/poster) they had seen. From the list of nominees, two winners had been selected by the Young Scientist Awards Committee, chaired by Prof Claude Hannoun:


- Sander Herfst receives the best oral presentation award for his lecture called "Why is HPAI H5N1 virus not transmissible via aerosol? An extensive mutational and phenotypic analysis of mutant and reassortant H5N1 viruses."


- Patricia Resa-Infante receives the best poster prestentation award for her poster entitled "Structural and functional characterisation of an influenza virus RNA polymerase-genomic RNA complex".


Both winners will receive the official certificate, a brand new iPad and an invitation to participate at the Fifth ESWI Influenza Conference.


 


 

International experts warn of possible resurgence of H5N1 avian influenza. Latest insights to be reviewed at Fourth ESWI Influenza Conference.

7 September 2011

A variant of the H5N1 influenza virus that is apparently able to sidestep the effects of the existing vaccines has appeared in Vietnam and China. The strain called H5N1-2.3.2.1, which comes from poultry and wild birds, is now feared to spread to other Asian countries.


At the same time, the parent H5N1 virus recently showed up in poultry and wild birds in countries that had been virus-free for several years. Newly affected areas are to be found in Bulgaria, Romania, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Nepal and Mongolia. H5N1 influenza has infected 565 people since 2003, killing 331 of them. The latest recorded death occurred in August 2011 in Cambodia.


This renewed geographic expansion of the H5N1 virus together with the signs that a mutant strain is spreading in Asia and beyond is posing a risk of the resurgence of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza. The risk to human health is unpredictable.


Academics and public health professionals, who will be gathering at the Fourth ESWI Influenza Conference in Malta, recognize the threat posed by H5N1 virus. Professor of Virology and ESWI chairman, Albert Osterhaus, will assess the possible risk to public health and present the latest insights on evolution and prevention of H5N1 infections in his late breaker lecture ‘How to deal with the H5N1 threat’ on Wednesday 14 September 2011. 



 

First European Influenza Summit: main outcome

27 May 2011

On 26 May 2011, the First European Influenza Summit brought together more than 70 representatives of organizations of healthcare providers, senior citizens, at-risk patients and public health authorities. The aim of the meeting was to provide all influenza partners with an informal platform to exchange good practices and to initiate concrete actions to improve public health protection against influenza. 11 expert lecturers, including the co-chair of the US National Flu Vaccine Summit, addressed the audience to elaborate on 11 different aspects of the fight against influenza.


The official meeting report is available now. The main conclusions have been brought together in a separate press release. Kindly consult the press release here.



Vincent Munster wins ESWI's Best Body of Work award 2011

24 May 2011

Vincent Munster, working at the Laboratory of Virology of the Rocky Mountain Laboratories (US), has been selected the winner of ESWI's Influenza Award for Young Scientists 2011. Among 27 submissions, his work received the highest rates after evaluation by the 12 members of the Selection Committee. All jurors agreed that there were many outstanding and excellent applications, rendering the decision process quite difficult.  


The Prize includes a travel grant to attend the Fourth ESWI Influenza Conference (Malta 11-14 September 2011), the invitation to participate with a lecture in the young scientist plenary session on Wednesday 14 September and to co-chair a session in the scientific programme. At the ESWI conference, Vincent Munster will officially receive the award, offered to him by Prof Claude Hannoun, one of the founding fathers of ESWI.   


Read more

The First European Influenza Summit

18 January 2011

ESWI brings together leading organizations and institutes in the field of influenza in a one-day meeting and provides them with an informal platform to discuss ways to better protect the European population against influenza.


More information is to be found on www.flusummit.org


 

ESWI launches Q&A booklet: Answering the influenza threat

15 November 2010

ESWI organized its Fourth Influenza Workshop for Public Health Officials in order to help answer the most urgent questions raised by the official declaration regarding the pandemic’s end. Scientific experts provided objective state-of-the-art information about the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccination, the implementation of effective vaccination strategies and, obviously, an assessment of the pandemic potential of different influenza virus strains (including H1N1 and H5N1).


The Fourth Influenza Workshop for Public Health Officials was held on 17 September 2010 in Brussels. More than 20 public health officials representing 15 different countries attended the meeting, demonstrating their need for state-of-the art and unbiased data about influenza.


The lectures and the discussions held at the workshop have now been collected in an attractive brochure. ‘Answering the Influenza Threat: Seasonal vs Pandemic Influenza’ is available here. The text can be copied and distributed freely.