UN City, Marmorvej 51 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00 Email: eurocontact@who.int
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø
Denmark
Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Website: https://www.who.int/europe
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ
WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION
ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ
Date: 14 June 2024
Ms Helen Sõber
Adviser
European Union Affairs and International Co-
operation Department
Ministry of Social Affairs
Suur-Ameerika 1
10122 Tallinn
Estonia
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE
BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L’EUROPE
REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA
ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО
Head office:
UN City, Marmorvej 51,
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00; Fax: +45 45 33 70 01
Email: eurocontact@who.int
Website: https://www.who.int/europe
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Dear Ms Sõber,
Based on a review of the performance of the National Influenza Centre (NIC) in the WHO European
Region during the 2022/2023 influenza seasons, I am pleased to inform you that the WHO-recognized
NIC in Estonia headed by Ms Johanna Kristina Tamm at the Laboratory for Communicable Diseases,
Health Board Health Board meets the criteria and will continue to be recognized by WHO.
National Influenza Centres play a key role in influenza (sentinel) surveillance at the national level and
contribute to regional and global surveillance through the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response
System (GISRS). The data generated by the NICs are critical to understand the timing and spread of
influenza epidemics and the contribution of the different viruses to morbidity and mortality. For the
European Region, the data are reported weekly in the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance
Summary (ERVISS) bulletin jointly produced by WHO Regional Office for Europe and the European
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
According to the Terms of Reference (ToR), the laboratories composing the National Influenza Centres
are requested to share representative seasonal influenza viruses (either positive samples or influenza
virus isolates) by shipping them to a WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on
Influenza (WHO CC). Characterization of these viruses from the whole GISRS network contribute to
the biannual selection of viruses for seasonal influenza vaccines and to the monitoring of susceptibility
to antiviral drugs.
In compliance with the Standard Material Transfer Agreement of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness
(PIP) Framework, NICs are also requested to send emerging influenza viruses with pandemic potential
as well as clinical specimens and/or viruses that cannot be readily identified with diagnostic reagents
provided through the WHO GISRS to a WHO CC or H5 Reference Laboratory of their choice.
In addition, the laboratories composing the NIC should regularly assess their competencies by taking
part in the External Quality Assessment Programmes (EQAP), in particular the annual EQAP organised
by WHO Global Influenza Programme with the Centre for Health Protection in Hong-Kong SAR,
China.
One of the major lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic was that developing and maintaining
integrated population-based surveillance systems for influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory viral
infections of public health concern in Europe is an urgent priority. The implementation of the integrated