Pediatric expert warns of seamless summer-to-winter flu surge after second child death

As an 11-month-old boy with chronic illness became Hong Kong’s second pediatric flu fatality this year, University of Hong Kong pediatrics professor Patrick Ip cautioned that cooling weather will likely prolong the current severe outbreak, potentially merging straight into a winter wave unless vaccination improves among the youngest children.

Patrick Ip explained that this summer’s flu season has been markedly worse than in previous years, with a rise in serious cases among children who mostly lack protection from the current vaccine. 

The dominant H3 strain differs substantially from the H1 virus that circulated more often before, meaning toddlers have little prior immunity to draw upon. 

He highlighted that vaccination uptake remains stubbornly low in the six-month-to- two-year-old group because these infants are not yet in school and depend entirely on parents to arrange shots, placing them at elevated risk.

The professor emphasized that swift action can be lifesaving, such as antiviral drugs given within the first 48 hours