WHO/Europe Online Press Briefing

THE URGENT NEED FOR IMMUNIZATION: POLIO, COVID-19, INFLUENZA

MONDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2022, 11:00 CEST

On World Polio Day, the WHO Regional Office for Europe will hold an online briefing to underscore the importance of immunization on three urgent fronts:

1. As we mark 20 years of a polio-free Europe, there are alarming signs that the gains made towards polio eradication are fragile – with a number of incidents pointing to clear gaps in childhood polio immunization that could reverse the successes of recent decades and mark the return of this crippling disease.
2. With the advent of autumn and colder weather in the Northern Hemisphere, COVID-19 case numbers are rising sharply in many countries across Europe and Central Asia. With millions of people still unvaccinated in the Region, and winter looming on the horizon, we are bracing for possibly significant morbidity and mortality.
3. At the same time, we are anticipating a severe and protracted influenza season, adding to the burden of respiratory diseases and challenging already overwhelmed health systems and health providers.

WHO/Europe’s Regional Director Dr Hans Kluge and Rotary International President Ms Jennifer Jones will be joined by Senior Emergency Officer Dr Catherine Smallwood and Regional Immunization Advisor Dr Siddhartha Datta to outline possible scenarios and what countries and individuals alike should be doing in response.  

Join Zoom Meeting

https://who.zoom.us/j/92847351245

Meeting ID: 928 4735 1245

Passcode: C!j4LC7W

The press briefing will be broadcast live on WHO/Europe’s Facebook page and at our Twitter profile.

Journalists who prefer to send their questions in advance, are very welcome to email them to eupress@who.int by 18:00 CEST on Friday, 21 October 2022.

Press contacts:

• Catharina Reynen-De Kat: reynendekatc@who.int
• Sarah Tyler: tylers@who.int
• WHO/Europe Press Office: eupress@who.int