Giuseppe
Emeritus
[This article is also posted in ''Seasonal Influenza'' thread. IOH]
ECDC concludes that vaccination of risk groups and health care workers should be further strengthened as seasonal influenza spreads across the European Union (1/9/2009)
Stockholm, 8 January 2009
ECDC concludes that vaccination of risk groups and health care workers should be further strengthened as seasonal influenza spreads across the European Union
[Original PDF Document at LINK. EDITED.]
ECDC Technical Statement
Up to the last week of December a number of countries in Western and Southern Europe reported consultation rates per 100,000 population for influenza like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infections (ARI) above threshold levels usually seen outside the winter period.
In three of these countries: Ireland, Portugal and UK consultations rates were higher than those observed at the peak of the previous two seasons[1]
Most of the viruses identified so far this season are influenza A(H3N2), the subtype associated with moderately severe epidemics last season (2007/8) in North America and in parts the Southern Hemisphere in their winter season in 2008[2, 3]. Experience from previous epidemics indicates that on a case by case basis influenza A(H3N2) subtype causes more severe illness than A(H1N1) subtype or influenza B viruses[4].
Based on the antigenic and/or genetic characterisation data available so far the reports indicate a good match of the viruses tested to the strains included in the current influenza vaccine[1]. Hence the current vaccine is likely to work well in protecting those immunised this year or at least reducing the severity of the influenza they experience.
A west to east spread of influenza epidemics in Europe has been seen in most, though not all recent winters [5]. Hence it is more likely than not that in the coming weeks influenza will continue to spread to, or intensify in Central, Eastern and Northern European countries. Weekly updates are available on the ECDC and EISS websites.
In the light of the early experience of influenza epidemics and the assumed spread across Europe in the coming weeks, ECDC is advising authorities to consider further strengthening their immunisation campaigns with a view to ensuring vaccination is offered to all those for whom they recommend it, notably people with chronic diseases, elderly people (in line with WHO recommendations) and health care workers. [6-9].
Background:
Surveillance of seasonal influenza in Europe is based on reporting of influenza viruses detected by laboratories and networks of sentinel doctors (mostly general practitioners) reporting rates of people consulting with influenza like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infections (ARI). The latter clinical surveillance takes place each winter between week 40 of one year and week 20 of the following year. From a subset of ILI/ARI cases clinical specimens are also collected for virological testing for influenza virus and some other viruses. This surveillance was developed in Europe as the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (now overseen by ECDC) [10] and contribute to the Global Influenza Surveillance Network of WHO[11].
References
[1] EISS. Weekly Electronic Bulletin: Influenza season started in seven countries of Western/Southern Europe. 2009 1st January 2009;Week 52 : 22/12/2008-28/12/2008.
[2] Australian Department of Health and Ageing. Australian influenza report - all reports for 2008.
[3] Influenza activity--United States and worldwide, 2007-08 season. MMWR. 2008 Jun 27;57(25):692-7. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5725a5.htm
[4] Nicholson KG, Wood JM, Zambon M. Influenza. Lancet. 2003 Nov 22;362(9397):1733-45.
[5] Paget J, Marquet R, Meijer A, van der Velden K. Influenza activity in Europe during eight seasons (1999-2007): an evaluation of the indicators used to measure activity and an assessment of the timing, length and course of peak activity (spread) across Europe. BMC infectious diseases. 2007;7:141. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/7/141
[6] World Health Assembly Resolution Prevention and control of influenza pandemics and annual epidemics WHA 2003.56:19.
[7] Mereckiene J, Cotter S, Weber JT, Nicoll A, Levy-Bruhl D, Ferro A, et al. Low coverage of seasonal influenza vaccination in the elderly in many European countries. Euro Surveill. 2008 Oct 9;13(41).
[8] VENICE & ECDC National Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Survey in Europe, 2007 VENICE Project April 2008 http://venice.cineca.org/Influenza_Study_Report_v1.0.pdf
[9] Nicoll A, Ciancio B, Tsolova S, Blank P, Yilmaz C. The scientific basis for offering seasonal influenza immunisation to risk groups in Europe. Euro Surveill. 2008 Oct 23;13(43). http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19018
[10] European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS).
[11] WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network.
-
------
ECDC concludes that vaccination of risk groups and health care workers should be further strengthened as seasonal influenza spreads across the European Union (1/9/2009)
Stockholm, 8 January 2009
ECDC concludes that vaccination of risk groups and health care workers should be further strengthened as seasonal influenza spreads across the European Union
[Original PDF Document at LINK. EDITED.]
ECDC Technical Statement
Up to the last week of December a number of countries in Western and Southern Europe reported consultation rates per 100,000 population for influenza like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infections (ARI) above threshold levels usually seen outside the winter period.
In three of these countries: Ireland, Portugal and UK consultations rates were higher than those observed at the peak of the previous two seasons[1]
Most of the viruses identified so far this season are influenza A(H3N2), the subtype associated with moderately severe epidemics last season (2007/8) in North America and in parts the Southern Hemisphere in their winter season in 2008[2, 3]. Experience from previous epidemics indicates that on a case by case basis influenza A(H3N2) subtype causes more severe illness than A(H1N1) subtype or influenza B viruses[4].
Based on the antigenic and/or genetic characterisation data available so far the reports indicate a good match of the viruses tested to the strains included in the current influenza vaccine[1]. Hence the current vaccine is likely to work well in protecting those immunised this year or at least reducing the severity of the influenza they experience.
A west to east spread of influenza epidemics in Europe has been seen in most, though not all recent winters [5]. Hence it is more likely than not that in the coming weeks influenza will continue to spread to, or intensify in Central, Eastern and Northern European countries. Weekly updates are available on the ECDC and EISS websites.
In the light of the early experience of influenza epidemics and the assumed spread across Europe in the coming weeks, ECDC is advising authorities to consider further strengthening their immunisation campaigns with a view to ensuring vaccination is offered to all those for whom they recommend it, notably people with chronic diseases, elderly people (in line with WHO recommendations) and health care workers. [6-9].
Background:
Surveillance of seasonal influenza in Europe is based on reporting of influenza viruses detected by laboratories and networks of sentinel doctors (mostly general practitioners) reporting rates of people consulting with influenza like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infections (ARI). The latter clinical surveillance takes place each winter between week 40 of one year and week 20 of the following year. From a subset of ILI/ARI cases clinical specimens are also collected for virological testing for influenza virus and some other viruses. This surveillance was developed in Europe as the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (now overseen by ECDC) [10] and contribute to the Global Influenza Surveillance Network of WHO[11].
References
[1] EISS. Weekly Electronic Bulletin: Influenza season started in seven countries of Western/Southern Europe. 2009 1st January 2009;Week 52 : 22/12/2008-28/12/2008.
[2] Australian Department of Health and Ageing. Australian influenza report - all reports for 2008.
[3] Influenza activity--United States and worldwide, 2007-08 season. MMWR. 2008 Jun 27;57(25):692-7. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5725a5.htm
[4] Nicholson KG, Wood JM, Zambon M. Influenza. Lancet. 2003 Nov 22;362(9397):1733-45.
[5] Paget J, Marquet R, Meijer A, van der Velden K. Influenza activity in Europe during eight seasons (1999-2007): an evaluation of the indicators used to measure activity and an assessment of the timing, length and course of peak activity (spread) across Europe. BMC infectious diseases. 2007;7:141. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/7/141
[6] World Health Assembly Resolution Prevention and control of influenza pandemics and annual epidemics WHA 2003.56:19.
[7] Mereckiene J, Cotter S, Weber JT, Nicoll A, Levy-Bruhl D, Ferro A, et al. Low coverage of seasonal influenza vaccination in the elderly in many European countries. Euro Surveill. 2008 Oct 9;13(41).
[8] VENICE & ECDC National Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Survey in Europe, 2007 VENICE Project April 2008 http://venice.cineca.org/Influenza_Study_Report_v1.0.pdf
[9] Nicoll A, Ciancio B, Tsolova S, Blank P, Yilmaz C. The scientific basis for offering seasonal influenza immunisation to risk groups in Europe. Euro Surveill. 2008 Oct 23;13(43). http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19018
[10] European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS).
[11] WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network.
-
------