Three children have died from the flu in Tonga, local media reports said.
The children were seriously ill and died from influenza and pneumonia, TBC reported, quoting a confirmation of the victims’ cause of death, from Vaiola Hospital.
No details were released about the victims.
According to the World Health Organisation, pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that is most commonly caused by viruses or bacteria. It can cause mild to life-threatening illness in people of all ages, however it is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide.
Pneumonia killed more than 808 000 children under the age of 5 in 2017, accounting for 15% of all deaths of children under 5 years.
People at-risk for pneumonia also include adults over the age of 65 and people with pre-existing health problems.
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