Accurate information on the health burden of vaccine-preventable infections (VPIs) is needed to support evidence-informed vaccine policy recommendations and programmes in Europe.

People can be at risk of getting and spreading serious vaccine-preventable infectious diseases throughout their lives and can therefore benefit from a lifelong approach to vaccination.

Vaccines that protect against any H1N1 influenza A virus strain would beadvantageous for use in pigs and humans.

Novel immunisation methods against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are emerging, but knowledge of risk factors for severe RSV disease is insufficient for optimal targeting of interventions against them.

Infants younger than 6 months are at risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Genetic changes to avian influenza viruses have led to spread among many wild species, creating an uncontrollable global outbreak.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 activity has intensified globally since 2021, increasingly causing mass mortality in wild birds and poultry and incidental infections in mammals.

Peripheral serotonin reduction, in turn, impedes the activity of the vagus nerve and impairs hippocampal responses and memory. These findings provide a possible explanation for neurocognitive symptoms associated with viral persistence in Long COVID.

Since SARS-CoV-2 BA.5 (Omicron) emerged and spread in 2022, Omicron lineages have markedly diversified.

In the last three years, extensive research has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. These vaccines have played a critical role in reducing mortality and hospitalization rates.

Current vaccines should be tailored to combat future SARS-CoV-2 variants.