Document is current

Article History

Received: 18 November 2019

Accepted: 6 May 2020

First Online: 11 May 2020

Ethics approval and consent to participate

: For performing the study, we complied with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 on the processing of personal data (). We provided the ECDC Data Protection Officer with a notification form about the study and storage of information, and the written consent forms are stored securely at the ECDC offices. This work did not pass through national ethics committees as, legally, ECDC is not under the jurisdiction of any of these committees due to the agency’s legal status as established under the EU Treaties. The requirements for ECDC are determined at the level of the EU Treaties (and the Charter of Fundamental Rights) and international conventions and international conventions, and these were duly followed throughout the study. In addition, all aspects of the study were discussed at length and agreed with the ECDC National Focal Points for Preparedness and Response for all four participating countries, who ensured that the field activities were suitable for local conditions. All interviewees participated voluntarily and strictly in their professional capacity, and they all gave written informed consent.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.