The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reported a nearly 30% increase in pneumonia-related hospitalizations during the recent respiratory illness season compared to the previous year. Notably, children aged five to 17 experienced a more than twofold rise in pneumonia hospitalizations in the 2024-2025 period, as per the data.
Dr. Jesse Papenburg, an infectious disease specialist at Montreal Children’s Hospital, noted that the elevated numbers from CIHI align with the observations of healthcare professionals, indicating an unusually busy period for pneumonia cases. He attributed the surge in pneumonia cases largely to the severe flu season experienced last year.
Viral pneumonia, a severe complication of the flu, can lead to bacterial pneumonia as influenza infection weakens respiratory tract cells, facilitating bacterial invasion. Dr. Papenburg highlighted that an additional factor contributing to the increase in pneumonia hospitalizations was the unusual spike in “walking pneumonia” cases, particularly among children, in the previous year.
Individuals with walking pneumonia, caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria, usually exhibit milder symptoms such as cough, fever, and fatigue, and often recover without medical intervention. However, the sheer volume of severe walking pneumonia cases necessitated more hospitalizations compared to previous years, Dr. Papenburg emphasized.
According to CIHI data, pneumonia-related hospitalizations surpassed pre-pandemic levels across all age groups. Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta, suggested that the rise in pneumonia cases could also be attributed to the circulation of different bacterial strains for which immunity was not developed during the pandemic.
The data from CIHI covered pneumonia hospitalizations from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, revealing a significant 143% increase in hospitalizations for children and youth, from 2,698 patients to 6,547. Moreover, pneumonia hospitalizations increased by 34% for adults aged 18 to 64 and by 22% for seniors aged 65 and above.
Dr. Papenburg indicated that it is too early to determine whether pneumonia hospitalizations have risen again this year, emphasizing that parents can safeguard their children against severe pneumonia by ensuring they are up to date on vaccinations. He also recommended vaccination against the most common bacteria causing severe pneumonia as part of the routine childhood immunization schedule.
