The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of Hong Kong's Department of Health reported on October 18 that it was investigating a fatal case of invasive pneumococcal disease in a nine-year-old boy with good past health. According to the CHP, he developed fever, runny nose, cough and chest pain associated with coughing from October 10, attended private clinics on October 10 and 13, and was taken to Tin Shui Wai Hospital's accident and emergency department on October 14 with persistent symptoms and shortness of breath. He was transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit at Tuen Mun Hospital, where his condition deteriorated and he died on October 15.

His pleural fluid specimen tested positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae. The clinical diagnosis was severe pneumonia complicated with empyema, septic shock and acute renal failure. The CHP said it would arrange further testing and serotype analysis, that initial enquiries found no travel history during the incubation period, and that home contacts had remained asymptomatic. The case was to be referred to the Coroner.

The CHP said local data showed about three per cent of paediatric invasive pneumococcal disease cases recorded over the past decade were fatal. It cited research indicating pneumococcal conjugate vaccine reduces children's risk of invasive disease by 60 per cent to 90 per cent, and said the vaccine has been part of the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme since September 2009.