Pier Luigi Lopalco

1
The importance of TBE in the perspective of the
ECDC

• Pier Luigi Lopalco
• ECDC, Unit for Scientific Advice

Jan 29-30, 2009 Vienna
2
What is the role of ECDC?
Identify, assess communicate current emerging
health threats to human health from communicable
diseases (ECDC Founding Regulation (851/2004),
Article 3)

• EU level disease surveillance
• Scientific opinions and studies
• Early Warning System and response
• Technical assistance and training
• Epidemic intelligence
• Communication to scientific community
• Communication to the public

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Director Zsuzsanna Jakab
How is ECDC organised?

• Cabinet/Office of the Director
• Strategic Management
• Governance
• External Relations,
• Partnership
• Country Relations

Chief Scientist Johan Giesecke
Internal Auditor Stefan Sundbom
Health Communication Unit Karl Ekdahl
Administrative Services Unit Jef Maes
Preparedness and Response Unit Denis Coulombier
Scientific Advice Unit Johan Giesecke
Surveillance Unit Andrea Ammon
H O R I Z O N T A L P R O G R A M M E S
Scientific Communication
Epidemic Intelligence and Emergency Operations
Centre
Data Management and General Surveillance
Microbiology Coordinator
Legal and Procurement
Human Resources
Public Communication and Media
Outbreak, Preparedness and Support
Evidence Base for Prevention and Control
Disease Specific Surveillance
Finance and Accounting
Web Services
Scientific and Technical Advice Knowledge
Services
Epidemiological Training
ICT
Future Threats and Determinants
Respiratory Tract Infections (Influenza
Tuberculosis) STI including HIV and Blood-Borne
Viruses Vaccine Preventable Diseases
Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associate
d Infections Food and Water-Borne Diseases and
Zoonoses Emerging and Vector-Borne Diseases
Missions, Meetings and Logistics
4
What is Decision 2119/98 ?

• Decision of the European Parliament and the
  Council setting up a network for the
  epidemiological surveillance and control of
  communicable diseases in the Community
• On 22 December 1999 the EU Commission deliver a
  Decision on the communicable diseases to be
  progressively covered by the Community network
  (2000/96/EC)

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Basic Surveillance Network
Divine-net
vCJD
EUCAST
EISS
DIP-net
EARSS
Enter-Net
EUVAC Measles
EWGLINet
EU-IBIS
ENIVD
ESSTI
ESAC
HIV/AIDS
Tuberculosis
IPSE
Dedicated Surveillance networks funded through
Public Health programmes with a wide variety of
data flows and databases
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Planned Solution One-Stop-Shop
MS
MSs Data users
MS
National institutes
MS
Disease experts
MS
General public
MS
AF members
MS
TESSy
Data access
Data upload and access
MB members
MS
The European Surveillance System
WHO
MS
EMCDDA
MS
EFSA
MS
Others
MS

MS
MS
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TBE is NOT included in the list of diseases to be
reported at EU level

• Criteria
• Diseases that cause, or have the potential to
  cause, significant morbidity and/or mortality
  across the Community
• Diseases where the exchange of information may
  provide early warning of threats to public
  health.
• Rare and serious diseases where the pooling
  of data would allow hypothesis generation from a
  wider knowledge base.
• Diseases for which effective preventive measures
  are available with a protective health gain.
• Diseases for which a comparison by Member States
  would contribute to the evaluation of national
  and Community programmes.

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TBE surveillance in EU member states

• Donoso Mantke O et al. Eurosurveillance 2008 13

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Scientific advice

• Five strategies
• Public health research catalyst
• Promote, initiate and coordinate scientific
  studies
• Produce guidelines, risk assessments, scientific
  advice
• Prime source of scientific advice on infectious
  diseases
• Microbiological laboratory support

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Increased focus on delivery of scientific
publications and advice
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Examples in the vaccines field

• Sudden deaths and influenza vaccinations in
  Israel ECDC Interim Risk Assessment, October
  2006
• Infant and children seasonal immunisation against
  influenza on a routine basis during
  inter-pandemic period, January 2007
• Use of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine for
  subjects over 65 years of age during an
  inter-pandemic period, January 2007
• Expert Advisory Groups on Human H5N1 Vaccines,
  Public Health and Operational Questions
  Stockholm, August 2007
• Guidance for the introduction of HPV vaccines in
  EU countries, January 2008
• Technical guidance on DTP childhood vaccination,
  2009

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Are there knowledge gaps related to TBE vaccines?

• Duration of immunity?
• Need for boosters?
• Breakthrough infections?
• Childhood vaccination?

13
TBE epidemiology in the EU

• Süss J, Eurosurveillance, 2008 13

14
The VENICE ProjectVaccine European New
Integrated Collaboration Effort

• Start in 2006 after a contract with the
  Commission
• VENICE-2 in 2009 after a contract with the ECDC
• Priority activities in the first half 2009
• Seasonal influenza vaccination coverage
• Extended survey on TBE assessment and TBE
  vaccination policies in EU countries

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Issues potentially covered by the coming VENICE
survey

• Assess the impact of different vaccination
  strategies on the TBE burden in the EU
• Knowledge gaps at national and EU level to be
  covered in the near future in terms of
  surveillance, scientific advice, communication to
  the public

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Conclusions

• The ECDC will start several activities on TBE
• The VENICE network is going to perform a EU-wide
  survey on TBE assessment and vaccination policies
• The ECDC has no legal role in driving national
  policies
• Scientific advice and risk assessment will guide
  the national authorities in implementing good
  practices and harmonising behaviours throughout
  the EU

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Thank You!

• www.ecdc.europa.eu