Child flu hospitalisations fall for first time since August
Hospitalisations for flu-like illnesses in New Zealand have declined for the first time since August, signaling that the peak of the winter outbreak has passed. Despite this improvement, health officials warn that respiratory viruses remain active and urge continued vaccination and hygiene precautions.
Why it matters
This data provides critical insight into public health trends and the strain on healthcare systems during the tail end of the winter illness season.
The number of children in hospital with flu-like illness has fallen for the first time since August, suggesting the outbreak has finally peaked.
But there is a warning to take care as viruses are still circulating.
Hospitalisations across the entire population dropped sharply in PHF Science data for the week ending 13 September.
However, they were still higher than the 2025 peak, showing there was still pressure on hospitals.
The winter illness season came late this year and hit the health system hard, largely driven by a very infectious strain of influenza A .
Last week, hospitalisation rates began to fall overall but had still been climbing for children.
In the latest stats, the rate for under-fives fell by more than 40 percent in a week to 173 per 100,000.
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