The objectives of the technical meeting were:

·     WP3, Pneumococcal vaccines

•  To review the data available for effectiveness and impact studies using surveillance data in the partner countries;

• To review the ICD codes used by site for outcome and underlying conditions;

• To standardise the definitions (ICD10-codes, variables) of outcomes and high risk groups of pneumonia and IPD to be used in register-based studies;

• To discuss the feasibility of effectiveness studies using a cohort study design and of  studies on  the role of influenza circulation and influenza vaccination on IPD and CAP incidence

WP4, Electronic databases and registries

• To explore the availability of data for the coming influenza VE studies and to agree on study designs and outcomes used;
  
  
• To discuss methodological challenges on register-based studies experienced so far
  e.g. definition of vaccination status, case definition and calculation of the propensity score;
  
  
• To discuss how best to account for previous vaccinations in the analyses;
   
  
• To obtain input from the partners about the work done by SSI as WP4 leader and to plan the next steps in the project.

WP5, Cost-effectiveness analysis

• To update WP5 partners with our progress on quantifying the pneumococcal disease burden in the elderly in participating countries;

• To discuss the differences between disease trends seen in those participating countries, gathering insights from local teams to inform our discussion and first deliverable (Burden of Pnc in elderly in Europe);

• To present a preliminary cost-effectiveness analysis of the introduction of PCV13 to childhood vaccination programmes currently using PCV10, focusing on the potential reduction of the burden of disease in the elderly population;

•  To inform WP5 partners of the plans to start the data collection for the influenza analyses and inviting them to join the project.