Influenza surveillance country profiles

Why influenza surveillance is important

Surveillance is performed in order to inform national influenza prevention and control programmes about the severity, impact and timing of seasonal epidemics, to identify the circulating influenza virus strains for vaccine composition, and to detect any emerging (zoonotic and pandemic) influenza viruses.

Why develop country profiles

Although international guidelines for influenza surveillance exist, national systems and case definitions vary across the Region. Most Member States routinely collect data on epidemiological and virological characteristics of circulating influenza viruses. Each week WHO/Europe and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) analyze and summarize data submitted by Member States and a weekly update, Flu News Europe, is published.

The country profiles summarize the characteristics of the influenza surveillance systems that provide data to Flu News Europe. The profiles aim to increase the insight in the different influenza surveillance systems that are in place in the Member States to facilitate interpretation of reported surveillance data and comparison of the influenza surveillance systems within the European Region. They are created based on data provided in a survey on current influenza surveillance systems and on consultation with the Member States. All profiles are available in English and in Russian.