INTRODUCTION: The Raise Awareness of Influenza Strategies in Europe (RAISE) group gathered information about the healthcare burden of influenza (hospitalizations, intensive care unit [ICU] admissions, and excess deaths), surveillance systems, and the vaccine coverage rate (VCR) in older adults in 18 European countries and Israel. AREAS COVERED: Published medical literature and official medical documentation on the influenza disease burden in the participating countries were reviewed from 2010/11 until the 2022/23 influenza seasons. Information on the framework for monitoring the disease burden and the provision for ensuring older adults had access to vaccination in their respective countries was provided. Data on influenza VCR in older adults were collected for the 2019/20 to 2022/23 influenza seasons. Data are reported descriptively. EXPERT OPINION: Influenza presents a significant healthcare burden in older adults. Reporting outcomes across participating countries is heterogeneous, highlighting the need for standardized approaches. Although older adults receive free influenza vaccination, vaccine uptake is highly variable among countries. Moreover, hospitalization rates remain high even in countries reporting a high VCR. Increased awareness and education on the burden of disease and the broader use of improved influenza vaccines for older adults may help reduce the disease burden on this population.

British Global and Travel Health Association Bath UK

Children's Clinic Hospital Brasov Romania

Department for Acute Respiratory Infections Dr Fran Mihaljevic University Hospital for Infectious Diseases Zagreb Croatia

Department for Infectious Diseases University of Zagreb School of Medicine Zagreb Croatia

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Department of Paediatrics Riga Stradins University Latvia Europe

Department of Social Medicine and Public Health Medical University of Warsaw Warsaw Poland

Faculty of Medicine Transilvania University Brasov Brasov Romania

Family Vaccination Centre Children's Clinical University Hospital Riga Latvia

General Medicine University of Perugia Perugia Italy

General Practitioner Amersfoort The Netherlands

Head of Department Department of Pediatrics with Clinical Assessment Unit Medical University of Warsaw Warsaw Poland

Immunology Institute of Microbiology and Immunology Medicine University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia

Institute of Clinical Medicine University of Tartu Tartu Estonia

Labo UR4129 P2S Université Lyon 1 Lyon France

Medical Epidemiologist and Head of Department Department of Epidemiology Faculty of Public Health Slovak Medical University Bratislava Bratislava Slovakia

Medical Epidemiologist and Head of Department Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology National Institute of Public Health Prague Czech Republic

Medizinische Klinik 4 Klinikum der Ludwig Maximilians Universität München Deutschland Europe

National Influenza Centre Hospital Clínico Universitario and University of Valladolid Valladoild Spain

Open Rome Paris France

Paediatirc Infectious Disease Clinic of Children'sChildren's Diseases Institute of Clinical Medicine Medicine Vilnius University Vilnius Lithuania

Research Studies and Documentation National Public Health Organization Athens Greece

School of Public Health Ben Guiron University of the Negev Beer Sheva Israel

Scientific Applied Center for Military Epidemiology and Hygiene Military Medical Academy Sofiâ Bulgaria

Thorax Department Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte Lisbon Portugal

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