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Policy & Recommendations
EU Ministers of Health expressed their full support for the EU Global Health Strategy
The strategy, presented by the European Commission on 30 November 2022, puts global health forward as an essential pillar of EU external policy
News
Reports
Policy & Recommendations
Policy priorities for protecting adults at risk of severe illness from RSV
IFA participated in the generation of a new report by the Health Policy Partnership to build awareness of the impact of RSV in adults and highlight opportunities to reduce its burden on society through appropriate prevention, diagnosis, and care.
Influenza A(H5N1) detection in two asymptomatic poultry farm workers in Spain, September to October 2022: suspected environmental contamination
In autumn 2022, the Spanish Influenza National Reference Laboratory (NRL) confirmed the detection of influenza A(H5N1) in samples from two asymptomatic workers linked to an outbreak in a poultry farm in Spain.
WHO Webinar Series on Trust and Pandemic Preparedness. The shifting landscape of trust: history, leadership & communities
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted trust as an important determinant of successful pandemic response. The second webinar in the series examines historical trust infrastructures that build and maintain trust within communities.
News
Reports
Policy & Recommendations
The European public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons for future cross-border health threats
The early lessons from the pandemic underlined that challenges to health systems and economies, including supply chain problems and vaccine hesitancy, could no longer be overcome by European Union Member States acting alone.
Effectiveness of bivalent mRNA booster vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection, the Netherlands, September to December 2022
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant has been dominant in Europe since January 2022, causing large waves of infections because of high transmissibility and escape from vaccine- and infection-induced immunity.
Influenza vaccination in patients affected by diabetes
The effects of vaccination appear to be more effective when using higher-dose and quadrivalent vaccines, although subgroup-specific separate analyses in patients with diabetes are lacking.
European Parliament sets up new Public Health subcommittee
The subcommittee will deal with programmes and specific actions in the field of public health, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, health aspects of bioterrorism, the European Medicines Agency, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Defining the Burden of Disease of RSV in Europe: estimates of RSV-associated hospitalisations in children under 5 years of age. A systematic review and modelling study
RSV infections cause an estimated 22-50 million episodes of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) every year in children younger than 5 years.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science: EU had almost 7 million female scientists in 2021
In 2021, there were 6.9 million female scientists and engineers in the EU, 369 800 more than in 2020, accounting for 41% of total employment in science and engineering.
COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality Among Unvaccinated and Vaccinated Persons Aged ≥12 Years by Receipt of Bivalent Booster Doses and Time Since Vaccination — 24 U.S. Jurisdictions, October 3, 2021–December 24, 2022
COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness decreased with waning of vaccine-derived immunity and emerging Omicron sublineages.
Superinfection exclusion creates spatially distinct influenza virus populations
Interactions between viruses during coinfections can influence viral fitness and population diversity, as seen in the generation of reassortant pandemic influenza A virus (IAV) strains.
