Overview

• The Centre for Health Protection confirmed a 13-year-old girl died after testing positive for influenza B, marking the city’s first paediatric flu-related death this year.
• She developed fever, cough, sore throat and runny nose last week, collapsed at home on Thursday, was admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital, transferred to Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, and died on Sunday after her condition worsened.
• Officials said she had received the 2024–2025 seasonal influenza vaccine but had not yet been vaccinated for the 2025–2026 season, which has already begun.
• Paediatric infectious-disease specialists urged schools and parents to bring forward vaccination appointments and consider private clinics if public slots are not yet available.
• Experts cautioned that influenza B can cause serious complications such as myocarditis, and authorities reported most schools plan outreach vaccination activities, with many scheduled by the end of October.