7-year-old girl in critical condition at Tuen Mun Hospital after severe influenza A infection

31st October 2026 – (Hong Kong) The Centre for Health Protection reported a severe paediatric influenza case involving a seven-year-old girl with an underlying illness who developed a runny nose, diarrhoea and abdominal pain on 29th October before experiencing fever and a convulsion on 30th October. She was taken to the Accident and Emergency Department at Tuen Mun Hospital, where her condition deteriorated and she was transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit. Tests confirmed influenza A (H1), with doctors diagnosing influenza A complicated by septic shock. She remains in critical condition.

Preliminary inquiries indicate the child had no travel history during the incubation period and had not received the 2026/27 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination. Her household contacts are currently asymptomatic. Three classmates recently developed mild flu-like symptoms without needing hospital care. Health officials have advised the school to strengthen infection control measures and said investigations are continuing.

Hong Kong entered its influenza season in late June and, although overall activity has begun to ease, it remains above baseline. Since the start of the current season, the city has recorded 28 severe paediatric influenza cases, with 20 children discharged after recovery, two in stable condition, four in critical condition and two fatalities. Dr Edwin Tsui, Controller of the Centre for Health Protection, urged the public—especially high-risk groups—to get vaccinated as early as possible and to maintain rigorous personal and environmental hygiene to reduce transmission.

Officials noted that vaccine effectiveness wanes at about nine months, aligning with World Health Organisation advice for annual vaccination. Many residents received their last dose during the 2025/26 season, meaning protection has likely declined. A fall in population immunity, combined with a prolonged season, has increased the risk of infection and severe complications in vulnerable groups. Even those who fell ill earlier this season but have not yet been vaccinated are advised to receive the jab to guard against other circulating strains, with vaccination shown to reduce hospitalisation and mortality.

Data analysis from the previous year indicated the risk of severe complications or death among unvaccinated children following influenza infection was about five times higher than among vaccinated children, while among unvaccinated residents aged 65 or above in residential care homes the risk of severe complications was around four times higher than for vaccinated peers. The 2026/27 vaccination programmes, including the School Outreach Programme, began on 17th September and now use a new electronic consent system via eHealth, streamlining administration so outreach can start earlier. About 1,600 schools have organised outreach sessions, which are expected to conclude by mid-December, roughly two weeks earlier than last year.

Parents are urged to monitor children closely, as illness can worsen rapidly. They should seek immediate emergency care if a child shows signs such as shortness of breath, wheezing, blue lips, chest pain, confusion, persistent fever or convulsions. In a separate development underscoring the risks of influenza A, the UK‑registered air ambulance and family support charity Lia’s Wings issued an urgent appeal on Friday for a donated private flight to repatriate a nine‑month‑old boy, Matthew, from Nottinghamshire, who became critically ill while in Hong Kong with his mother visiting relatives. The infant reportedly suffered three cardiac arrests following influenza A infection, with his brain deprived of oxygen for an estimated 47 minutes, and remains in hospital as the charity seeks a way to bring him home for ongoing care.