Influenza

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• "Better labs for better health": Strengthening laboratory services in Tajikistan
  24-05-2012
  In line with capacity building for improving and strengthening the national coordination of laboratory services in Tajikistan, a special mission was organized by WHO/Europe from 30 April to 2 May 2012 in collaboration with partners, including the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) and Integrated Quality Laboratory Systems (IQLS). 
• EuroFlu Bulletin Issue No. 446: Influenza activity in Europe approaching out-of-season levels
  21-05-2012
  Based on data for week 19/2012 reported by 43 Member States in the WHO European Region, consultation rates for influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory infection (ARI) are approaching out-of-season levels in most of the countries in the Region.
• Joint ECDC/WHO Regional Office for Europe Influenza Surveillance Meeting planned for 30 May-1 June 2012
  07-05-2012
  WHO/Europe and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will hold their second annual joint influenza surveillance meeting in Warsaw, Poland, on 30 May - 1 June 2012. The main objectives of the meeting are: to provide a situation update on the 2011/2012 influenza season, with respect to epidemiology, virology and vaccination; and to review developments in TESSy and EuroFlu, the respective ECDC and WHO/Europe influenza surveillance platforms.
• Report now published on WHO meeting: Taking stock of influenza surveillance in the newly independent states
  30-04-2012
• Report published on WHO/ECDC joint workshops on pandemic plan revisions
  30-03-2012
• WHO recommendation on 2012-2013 influenza vaccine composition
  24-02-2012
  Based on data for week 7/2012 reported by 47 Member States in the WHO European Region, influenza activity is increasing in 27 countries.
• Updated look and format for EuroFlu Bulletin
  17-02-2012
  The WHO Regional Office for Europe has updated the look and format of the EuroFlu Bulletin. New graphs and tables have been added for a more visual presentation of influenza surveillance data. 
• New influenza documentary from European Scientific Working group on Influenza released online
  19-12-2011
  The European Scientific Working group on Influenza (ESWI) has now made its new documentary, "Influenza: aiming at a moving target", available via its online influenza tool.
• Two countries in the WHO European Region publish revised pandemic preparedness plans
  14-12-2011
  Countries across the European Region are currently in the process of revising their pandemic plans based on national evaluations of the response to the pandemic (H1N1) 2009. So far, two countries have published their revised plans: France and the United Kingdom.
• Influenza like illness in the United States of America
  24-11-2011
  The United States Government has reported three cases of human infection with swine origin triple reassortant Influenza A(H3N2). Between 10 and 13 November 2011, three children (aged 11 months, 2 years and 3 years) experienced onset of febrile respiratory illness. All three children had visited the same health care provider in Iowa State. None of them were hospitalized and all three have recovered.
• Influenza experts from 12 countries take part in WHO/Europe workshop on sentinel influenza surveillance
  24-11-2011
  On 16 and 17 November 2011, WHO/Europe held a workshop in Istanbul for influenza experts from 12 Member States. The aim of the workshop was to bring together epidemiologists involved in sentinel influenza surveillance and staff from the Ministry of Health responsible for the surveillance of communicable diseases, in order to discuss technical and operational issues related to influenza surveillance and progress since the implementation of sentinel surveillance. 
• Fourth and final joint WHO/ECDC workshop on pandemic plan revisions
  16-11-2011
  During the week of 14 november, WHO/Europe held a meeting in Istanbul for influenza experts from Member States in the eastern and southeastern part of the WHO European Region. The meeting included nine participating countries and focused on pandemic preparedness, specifically changes being made by countries to their pandemic plans as a result of their experience with the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.
• WHO response to concerns in Serbia over its actions during the influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pandemic
  01-11-2011
  The IHR Review Committee, constituted in January 2010 of external experts, assessed the global response to the influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pandemic, including the role of WHO. Its key conclusion was that WHO performed well in many ways during the pandemic, confronted systemic difficulties and demonstrated some shortcomings. The committee found no evidence of malfeasance, including attempted or actual influence by commercial interests on advice given to or decisions made by WHO.
• Third workshop on pandemic preparedness identifies new areas for future work in the WHO European Region
  17-10-2011
  The third of a series of four pandemic preparedness workshops was held in Athens, Greece on 22-23 September 2011. Fifteen countries from the WHO European Region were represented.
• WHO/Europe resumes weekly surveillance report (EuroFlu Bulletin Issue No. 414) as the 2011/2012 influenza season begins
  14-10-2011
  The first weekly report for the 2011/2012 season has been published and data included in it indicates very low levels of influenza activity in the WHO European Region.
• Common themes in pandemic preparedness revisions across Europe
  22-09-2011
  At the second of four workshops on pandemic preparedness organized by WHO/Europe and ECDC, held in Lisbon, Portugal on 8-9 September 2011, ten countries continued the discussions initiated by their colleagues at the first workshop.
• Member States discuss changes to their pandemic plans during first of four joint WHO Regional Office for Europe/ECDC workshops
  08-09-2011
  During the workshop held at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm on 1-2 September, participants from 11 Member States described major changes that are being made to their pandemic plans as a result of their experience during the 2009 pandemic.
• Finnish National Narcolepsy Task Force’s final report published
  07-09-2011
  In September 2010, the Director General of the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland appointed a National Narcolepsy Task Force to investigate the potential association between vaccination against pandemic influenza in 2009-2010 and narcolepsy. In its final report, published on 31 August 2011, the Task Force concluded that vaccination with Pandemrix® vaccine contributed to increased incidence of narcolepsy observed among vaccinees 4-19 years of age.
• Joint WHO Regional Office for Europe/ECDC workshops on pandemic preparedness
  29-08-2011
  In September 2011, three joint WHO/ECDC workshops on pandemic preparedness will take place with participants from northern, central and southern European countries, respectively. A fourth workshop for eastern European countries is anticipated in November 2011. The purpose of the workshops is to provide national experts with a broad understanding of the results of the national and international evaluations following the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and to discuss future pandemic planning.   
• Pandemrix safety profile updated due to narcolepsy reports
  21-07-2011
  The European Medicines Agency (EMA), in its press release of 21 July 2011, recommended against the use of Pandemrix® in people aged under 20 years following reports of narcolepsy in recipients aged 4–19 years.
• Recommendations for good practice in pandemic preparedness for National Influenza Centres now published
  06-07-2011
• First joint WHO/Europe and ECDC influenza surveillance meeting highlights work on influenza during 2010-2011 season
  16-06-2011
  On 7-9 June 2011, the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) and ECDC held a joint annual influenza surveillance meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
• WHO/Europe releases updated guidance for influenza surveillance
  01-06-2011
  WHO/Europe has updated its "guidance for sentinel influenza surveillance in humans" and the new version is now avilable on the web site. 
• Final report of the IHR Review Committee published
  10-05-2011
  The Review Committee on the Functioning of the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) assessed and identified lessons learned during the global response to the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and developed a report on the review. Similar findings were obtained from national evaluations conducted within the European Region on the response to pandemic (H1N1) 2009, as well as the WHO/Europe evaluation on how pandemic preparedness activities of Member States and WHO aided the response to the pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
• Joint ECDC/WHO Regional Office for Europe Influenza Surveillance Meeting planned for 7-9 June 2011
  05-05-2011
  The WHO Regional Office for Europe will hold its annual meeting for influenza surveillance focal points on 7-9 June 2011 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. This joint meeting with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will update influenza surveillance focal points on regional and global developments and will provide an opportunity to exchange information about surveillance.
• Meeting with the European Respiratory Society
  21-03-2011
  Professor Francesco Blasi, Vice-President of the European Respiratory Society, met Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, on 18 March 2011 to discuss potential areas of collaboration.
• Update on the 2010/2011 influenza season in the WHO European Region
  16-02-2011
  This is an overview of influenza data from the WHO European Region from weeks 40/2010 through week 3/2011. 
• Statement of Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) on Pandemrix® vaccine and narcolepsy
  10-02-2011
  A statement of the National Institute of Health and Welfare of Finland indicated an increased risk of narcolepsy among children and adolescents vaccinated with Pandemrix®, an adjuvanted vaccine against pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. WHO’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) has reviewed the data and released a statement.
• Pandemrix® vaccine and increased risk of narcolepsy
  01-02-2011
  The National Institute of Health and Welfare of Finland issued a statement on 1 February 2011, indicating an increased risk of narcolepsy (a rare sleep disorder that causes a person to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly) observed among children and adolescents vaccinated with Pandemrix®, an adjuvanted vaccine against pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.
• Increasing influenza activity in the WHO European Region
  14-01-2011
  Influenza activity is increasing in the WHO European Region, most notably in the north-western part. Several countries have reported severe and fatal cases and the burden of severe influenza has placed considerable strain on critical care services in two western European countries.
• Start of influenza season
  17-12-2010
  Signs of increasing influenza activity in a number of countries indicate the start of the influenza season in the WHO European Region. Reports of severe and fatal cases, causing strains on critical care services, have also been received.
• WHO/Europe releases report on multi-country evaluation of pandemic planning and response
  10-12-2010
  WHO/Europe has completed a report on its multi-country evaluation of the response to pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
• New collaborating centre studies pandemic preparedness
  15-11-2010
  How did pandemic preparedness planning work out when pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza arrived? The new WHO Collaborating Centre for Pandemic Influenza and Research investigated.
• WHO/Europe resumes weekly influenza surveillance report as winter season begins
  15-10-2010
  The first weekly report for the season, available in English and Russian, indicates that influenza activity is currently at very low levels in the WHO European Region.
• Regional Director addresses European Parliament inquiry on pandemic (H1N1) 2009
  05-10-2010
  Today Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, addressed the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) of the European Parliament.
• Vaccine recommendations for winter influenza season
  20-09-2010
  WHO/Europe has released interim recommendations on influenza vaccination during the 2010/2011 winter season.
• Upcoming regional influenza surveillance meeting in Romania
  06-09-2010
  WHO/Europe collects data on influenza from the 53 Member States of the European Region with the assistance of national focal points for influenza surveillance. Each year, WHO/Europe organizes a meeting for these focal points to exchange information and discuss new developments. This year the annual meeting is being held in Brasov, Romania from 21 to 23 September. National focal points primarily from 24 Member States in eastern and southeastern Europe, who provide weekly data on influenza to WHO/Europe for the EuroFlu bulletin, have been invited to attend. Participants from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, WHO headquarters, WHO collaborating centres and academic partners will also participate.
• Pandemic influenza vaccine Pandemrix under review
  28-08-2010
  A cluster of narcolepsy cases has been reported in children and adolescents vaccinated with Pandemrix. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has launched a review to determine whether there is evidence of a causal association. Pandemrix remains licensed for use by EMA and prequalified by WHO.
• WHO Director-General declares H1N1 pandemic over
  10-08-2010
  On the recommendation of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee, Dr Margaret Chan announced that the world has moved into a post-pandemic period.
• Learning from the influenza pandemic
  05-07-2010
  “The emergence of a new strain of influenza, which was able to spread around the globe in a matter of a few weeks, clearly highlights our joint vulnerability and the need for a collective, coordinated response.” This was the main message presented by Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, to a meeting of health ministers from European Union (EU) countries held in Brussels, Belgium on 5 July.
• Update on evaluation of the response to pandemic (H1N1) 2009
  05-07-2010
  WHO/Europe has now visited seven Member States to evaluate pandemic preparedness planning and has compiled a preliminary list of lessons learned.
• Evaluation of EuroFlu Bulletin completed
  05-07-2010
  The results of an evaluation conducted by WHO/Europe are now available.
• Launch of WHO/Europe evaluation on how pandemic preparedness activities aided the response to the H1N1 pandemic
  15-05-2010
  In the period May to June 2010, six randomly selected countries in the European Region will be visited by a WHO team of experts in pandemic preparedness and response.
• New pandemic (H1N1) situation update
  15-03-2010
  WHO/Europe's most recent situation update provides an overview of influenza surveillance data from week 40/2009 to week 07/2010 and highlights the main developments related to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in the European Region.