Vaccine Effectiveness, Burden and Impact Studies (VEBIS) of COVID-19 and Influenza – Tender Specifications ECDC/2021/12924  Deliverable (DL)  Description  Estimated  frequency/ Volume  File / form at type  DL 1.2.1. Updated list of  participating  countries/study sites and  hospitals within countries  The contractor will assess the feasibility of new countries/study sites joining  the ECDC hospital network, from a list of countries/study sites initially  identified by ECDC. At the first kick off conference call, ECDC will present to the contractor the list  of the countries/study sites already performing SARI surveillance and COVID-19  vaccine effectiveness studies. The list will be the basis to start the activities of  the lot (18 study sites foreseen at the start of the project). ECDC aims to further  expand this list and plans to collect interest from the Member States in joining  the ECDC Hospital network regularly over the course of the FWC. As a  consequence, ECDC will share the updated list with the contractor who will be  responsible to check the feasibility for the study sites to join the ECDC Hospital  Network and implement the protocols and propose a final list to ECDC. The following aspects shall be considered by the contractor when assessing the  feasibility of new countries/study sites to join the ECDC hospital network:  • The identified sites shall be able to implement the protocol(s); it is  expected that contractor will ensure that the study sites identify data  flows which will allow capturing information on SARS-CoV-2 variants  (such as whole genome sequencing) and capture the information as  part of the data collection. Identification of the variants could either be  undertaken at the study site/national level in collaboration with the  relevant national Authorities, or with support from ECDC. ECDC will  decide which countries to be offered whole genome sequencing  support.  • The ECDC Hospital network study sites shall have access to laboratory  testing for respiratory pathogens, at least influenza and COVID-19. The  laboratory testing should be performed according to national and  international quality standards with clinically validated tests for  Twice during the  duration of the  framework  contract  Word, Excel 