Influenza
Influenza is an acute viral infection that spreads easily from person to person in any age group and that can cause serious complications in certain risk groups. In addition to seasonal epidemics, influenza pandemics can occur when a new influenza virus subtype emerges or when an animal influenza virus begins to spread among humans.
WHO/Europe influenza control and other respiratory pathogensTop story
New data reveals significant gaps in influenza immunization of those who need it most in Europe
WHO set a target in 2003 that 75% of elderly people should be vaccinated against influenza each year. The most recent data (2018/2019), published this week on the European Health Information Gateway, reveals that only 1 country out of 28 reporting coverage in the WHO European Region achieved that target – Belarus.
Flu News Europe
- Flu News Europe
Joint ECDC-WHO/Europe weekly influenza update
- Country surveillance profiles
Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework
PIP Framework
Countries in the Region are receiving support from the PIP Framework to strengthen lab and surveillance capacities
Country activitiesCoronavirus infections
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a family of viruses that can infect humans and several of which originate in animal species. In humans, coronaviruses cause a range of infections from the common cold to more severe diseases such as COVID-19, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is one that has not been previously identified in humans; an example of this is 2019-nCoV (now COVID-19).
Avian influenza
Examples of avian influenza viruses that have recently caused human infections include highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H7N9), A(H5N1), and A(H5N6), and low pathogenic avian influenza A(H7N2).
More information, situation updates and WHO guidelines
Flu Awareness Campaign
Flu Awareness Campaign is a WHO/Europe led initiative held each year in October to increase seasonal influenza vaccination.
For more information on the campaign
Recent publications in Russian
- Non-pharmaceutical public health measures for mitigating the risk and impact of epidemic and pandemic influenza
- WHO Regional Office for Europe overview on avian influenza for public health professionals (2015)
- Fact sheet on influenza vaccination for health care workers
- Fact sheet on influenza and pregnancy
- Information sheet: Observed rate of vaccine reactions - influenza vaccine
Data and statistics
Up to 20%
of the population in the northern hemisphere is affected by annual influenza epidemics during autumn and winter.
More data and statisticsMultimedia
Flu: the 5 things everyone needs to know
