Europe is entering a “tricky moment” with the new school year, and while classrooms have not played a major role in spreading coronavirus, there is growing evidence of youth infecting other people at social gatherings, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

Older people must protect themselves with a flu vaccination as winter approaches, a season of higher mortality, Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, told a news briefing.

“The younger people are not necessarily going to die from it but it’s a tornado with a long tail ...] at one stage, younger people particularly with the winter coming, will be in closer contact with the elder population,” Kluge was quoted as saying by Reuters.