About the Authors

Marta Valenciano

m.valenciano@epiconcept.fr

Affiliation EpiConcept, Paris, France

Esther Kissling

Affiliation EpiConcept, Paris, France

Jean-Marie Cohen

Affiliation Réseau des GROG/Open Rome, Paris, France

Beatrix Oroszi

Affiliation National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary

Anne-Sophie Barret

Affiliations Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dublin, Ireland, European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden

Caterina Rizzo

Affiliation National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy

Baltazar Nunes

Affiliation Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal

Daniela Pitigoi

Affiliations Cantacuzino Institute, National Institute of Research – Development for Microbiology and Immunology, Bucharest, Romania, Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania

Amparro Larrauri Cámara

Affiliation National Centre for Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

Anne Mosnier

Affiliation Réseau des GROG/Open Rome, Paris, France

Judith K. Horvath

Affiliation National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary

Joan O'Donnell

Affiliation Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dublin, Ireland

Antonino Bella

Affiliation National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy

Raquel Guiomar

Affiliation Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal

Emilia Lupulescu

Affiliation Cantacuzino Institute, National Institute of Research – Development for Microbiology and Immunology, Bucharest, Romania

Camelia Savulescu

Affiliations EpiConcept, Paris, France, National Centre for Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

Bruno C. Ciancio

Affiliation European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden

Piotr Kramarz

Affiliation European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden

Alain Moren

Affiliation EpiConcept, Paris, France

Competing Interests

J-M Cohen is a direct advisor for the French Minister of Health (MOH). His salary as Head of réseau des GROG is financed by the French MOH (76%) and Institut Pasteur (24%). The Institut Pasteur contribution is funded by a pool of five pharmaceutical firms (Roche, Glaxo SmithKline [GSK], Sanofi Pasteur, Solvay, Argène). As Head of Open Rome, he is involved in several epidemiological studies that are partially or fully funded by pharmaceutical companies (Sanofi-Pasteur, GSK, Roche), nonprofit organizations (Mutuelles, Résaeu DES France) or public institutions (ECDC, CU Strasbourg). He is a member of Association Mieux Prescrire and the advisory boards of Novartis, Roche, and Wyeth (free participation, no compensation). During the past five years, he has received travel grants from Sanofi-Pasteur and Roche. A. Mosnier is a member of the French MOH advisory board on influenza, and adviser for influenza to the French Health Insurance organization. As coordinator of the Réseau des GROG (French Influenza Sentinel network), her salary is funded by MOH (76%) and Institut Pasteur (24%). Institut Pasteur contribution is funded by a pool of five pharmaceutical firms (GSK, Roche, Sanofi-Pasteur, Solvay, Argène). She is involved, through the other institution with which she is affiliated and salaried (Open Rome research department), in the coordination or analysis of epidemiological studies partially or fully funded by Roche and GSK. She is member of the Groupe d'Expertise et d'Information sur la Grippe (GEIG) Scientific Board. During the last five years, she has received travel grants from Roche for speaking, or participation, at scientific meetings. All other authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

ICMJE criteria for authorship read and met: M Valenciano, E Kissling, JM Cohen, B Oroszi, AS Barret, C Rizzo, B Nunes, D Pitigoi, AL Cámara, A Mosnier, JK Horvath, J O Donnell, A Bella, R Guiomar, E Lupulescu, C Savulescu, BC Ciancio, P Kramarz, A Moren. Agree with the manuscript s results and conclusions: M Valenciano, E Kissling, JM Cohen, B Oroszi, AS Barret, C Rizzo, B Nunes, D Pitigoi, AL Cámara, A Mosnier, JK Horvath, J O Donnell, A Bella, R Guiomar, E Lupulescu, C Savulescu, BC Ciancio, P Kramarz, A Moren. Designed the experiments/the study: M Valenciano, JM Cohen, C Rizzo, B Nunes, D Pitigoi, AL Cámara, A Mosnier, J O Donnell, R Guiomar, E Lupulescu, C Savulescu, BC Ciancio, P Kramarz, A Moren. Analyzed the data: E Kissling, JM Cohen, AS Barret, C Rizzo, D Pitigoi, A Moren. Collected data/did experiments for the study: JM Cohen, B Oroszi, AS Barret, C Rizzo, B Nunes, D Pitigoi, AL Cámara, A Mosnier, JK Horvath, J O Donnell, A Bella, R Guiomar, E Lupulescu, C Savulescu. Enrolled patients: JM Cohen, C Rizzo, D Pitigoi, A Mosnier, A Bella, E Lupulescu. Wrote the first draft of the paper: M Valenciano. Contributed to the writing of the paper: M Valenciano, E Kissling, JM Cohen, B Oroszi, AS Barret, B Nunes, D Pitigoi, AL Cámara, A Mosnier, JK Horvath, J O Donnell, R Guiomar, E Lupulescu, C Savulescu, BC Ciancio, P Kramarz, A Moren. Coordinated the study at the national level: B Oroszi, C Rizzo, B Nunes, D Pitigoi, A Larrauri Cámara, J O'Donnell. Participated in protocol writing: M Valenciano, A Moren. Contributed to reviewing the data analysis: M Valenciano, A Moren. Wrote first draft and revised the overall manuscript with co-author inputs: M Valenciano. Participated in protocol writing: E Kissling. Adapted GROG network database to I-MOVE design: JM Cohen. Coordinated GROG Network during pandemic phase: JM Cohen. Coordinated the Sentinel network (réseau des GROG) in charge of patient enrollment: A Mosnier. Reviewed drafts of the article: J O'Donnell. Performed the laboratory diagnosis of the influenza virus infection: R Guiomar. Conceived the idea of a European network for monitoring influenza vaccine effectiveness: BC Ciancio.