A paediatric infectious diseases expert warned on Saturday that colder weather could prolong the current flu season and lead to more critical cases in children.

Mike Kwan, president of the Asian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, said that if infection numbers stay high, critical cases will rise in tandem.

"Since the weather is going to get more cold, and also we are going into the winter season, I really worry that the current flu season will merge with the winter flu season," he said.

"So then you experience a very, very long period of the flu infection. And subsequently... [I am] really worried that there will be more paediatric critical cases or even mortality."

Kwan urged parents whose children had yet to receive this season's influenza vaccine to get them vaccinated as soon as possible.


Edited by Robert Kemp