The European Commission has urged EU states to launch earlier and broader vaccination campaigns against flu this year to reduce the risk of simultaneous influenza and Covid-19 outbreaks in the autumn, Reuters reported.

The EU executive wants to prevent the risk of hospitals being again overwhelmed by a surge of patients, as happened at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe in March and April.

“Simultaneous outbreaks of seasonal influenza and Covid-19 would place a considerable strain on health systems,” it said in a document that lists actions needed to prepare for a possible large second wave of Covid-19 in the autumn.