ECDC on Air podcast. Why Monitoring Respiratory Viruses Matters?
In this episode, ECDC expert on respiratory viruses, Nick Bundle, gives the lowdown on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), a new surveillance tool which presents weekly data on influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Is eradication of influenza B viruses possible?
Influenza B virus infections account for a substantial proportion of cases of influenza annually, with a high morbidity and mortality burden, especially in children (aged 0–18 years)
Scientific Papers
Article
Influenza vaccination in older adults and patients with chronic disorders: A position paper from the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology, the Portuguese Society of Cardiology, the Portuguese Society of Diabetology, the Portuguese Society of Infectious Disea
Influenza affects millions of people worldwide each year and can lead to severe complications, hospitalizations, and even death, especially among vulnerable populations such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions.
Evolution of human H3N2 influenza virus receptor specificity has substantially expanded the receptor-binding domain site
Determinants of epidemic size and the impacts of lulls in seasonal influenza virus circulation
During the COVID-19 pandemic, levels of seasonal influenza virus circulation were unprecedentedly low, leading to concerns that a lack of exposure to influenza viruses, combined with waning antibody titres.
How well does a flu vaccine work? DRIVE project evaluates performance
Despite challenging conditions posed by the COVID-19 outbreak, the DRIVE project successfully tested how well various brands of flu vaccines worked across five European countries and a range of age groups.
Public health action needed to mitigate the impact of respiratory pathogens for 2023-24 winter season in Europe
In an epidemiological update, the ECDC urges EU/EEA Member States to strengthen vaccination campaigns and prepare for the possible need to increase emergency department and ICU capacity
Article
Scientific Papers
Long-term outcomes following hospital admission for COVID-19 versus seasonal influenza: a cohort study
Previous comparative analyses of people admitted to hospital for COVID-19 versus influenza evaluated the risk of death, hospital readmission, and a narrow set of health outcomes up to 6 months following infection.
World Diabetes Day 2023: Why Influenza and Diabetes are important to consider jointly?
With the support of Sanofi, the Influenza Diabetes Community conducted a communications campaign to raise awareness of the impact of influenza on diabetes patients.
News
Policy & Recommendations
EPI-WIN Webinar: Seasonal Influenza Prevention and Control: National and Regional Perspectives
This webinar provides an overview of WHO resources available to support countries in developing/strengthening their programmes and highlight examples of national and regional good practices for seasonal influenza prevention and control.
Sequential vaccinations with divergent H1N1influenza virus strains induce multi-H1 cladeneutralizing antibodies in swine
Vaccines that protect against any H1N1 influenza A virus strain would beadvantageous for use in pigs and humans.
Australian vaccination warning as flu lingers into summer 2023/24
Winter may be long gone and summer just around the corner, but the flu season is dragging on with all states continuing to record cases.