title: Contribution of laboratories in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to the selection of candidate seasonal influenza vaccine, 2010-2015.
abstract: The World Health Organization (WHO) formulates recommendations for viruses to be included in vaccines for the influenza seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres on the basis of analyses by its collaborating centres (CCs). This report describes the contribution of influenza laboratories and national influenza centres in countries in the WHO Region for the Eastern Mediterranean to the selection process of seasonal and pre-pandemic influenza virus subtypes. Data submitted by 22 countries to FluNet and FluID between September 2010 and June 2015 were analysed. National Influenza Centres (NICs) in 12 countries (55%) reported data, 5 (23%) to both FluNet and FluID and 7 (32%) only to FluNet. The WHO CC in London characterized 78% of the samples, and the CC in Atlanta, characterized 21%. The contribution of influenza laboratories and NICs from this Region to global influenza surveillance is appreciable. However, enhancing the contribution through initiatives such as the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework is still needed.
authors.affiliation: WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asghar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.affiliation: Crick Worldwide Centre, The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, The Ridgeway Mill Hill, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCauley
authors.affiliation: WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.affiliation: WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007753:Laboratories; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D012621:Seasons; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines