The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has emphasised the importance of ongoing monitoring surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest and concern and how they are circulating in all countries.
To this end, on Tuesday 7 June, the ECDC published technical guidance for laboratories, microbiology experts and other stakeholders to establish or enhance antigenic monitoring capacity and capability for SARS-CoV-2.
ECDC has pointed out that SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest and concern have continued to emerge in 2022. The Centre has also emphasised the importance of antigenic characterisation of these variants for vaccine evaluation and the choice of virus strains in vaccine development.
The ECDC has recommended that laboratory and reporting methodologies are standardised.
The ECDC also wants to see antigenic data shared immediately with the ECDC and the World Health Organization's European office (WHO Europe). Several Member States have the capacity to isolate and characterise those variants that are due to be monitored. ECDC and WHO Europe offer technical assistance to states without such facilities through WHO Europe Covid-19 reference laboratories. States can also benefit from the WHO Europe shipping process for sending specimens to reference laboratories.
Link to guidelines: https://aeur.eu/f/1z5 (Original version in French by Emilie Vanderhulst)