9 dead as flu cases in Thailand cross 107,000

Jurai Wongsawat, spokesperson for the Department of Disease Control, said around 15,000 new cases are recorded each week, compared to 10,000 per week during the same period last year, The Straits Times reported.

The majority of patients are children. Those between the ages of five and nine account for the highest number of infections, followed by those under four, and then those aged 10 to 14.

Among the nine reported deaths, the youngest victim was 11 years old and the oldest was 86. All nine had received vaccinations, Jurai said, as cited by The Nation.

Influenza cases have risen annually since Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, due in part to colder weather conditions last year that contribute to the spread of respiratory illnesses, Jurai added. Schools have been advised to implement preventive measures, with Jurai urging parents to keep infected children at home for at least three days to help limit transmission.