Boy, 7, dies in Hong Kong’s first fatal paediatric flu case of 2026

Hong Kong recorded the first fatal paediatric case of influenza this year after a seven-year-old boy died on Tuesday, nine days after displaying symptoms.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said that the boy, who had been in good health, developed a cough and runny nose on July 27 and a fever on Saturday, before his condition deteriorated on Monday when he became less responsive.

He was admitted in critical condition to the paediatric intensive care unit at Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung on Monday, where a respiratory specimen tested positive for influenza A (H3) virus.

The boy was diagnosed with influenza A infection complicated by shock and encephalopathy, a group of conditions that can cause brain dysfunction. He died on Tuesday.

The child had received a seasonal influenza vaccination under the 2025-26 scheme.

While the boy had not travelled during the incubation period, a household contact had earlier tested positive for influenza and recovered after a mild illness.