And why are some countries in the middle of the summertime, seeing a surge of infections with viruses usually found in winter? In the northern hemisphere there are fears that we’ll see a surge of cases of flu next winter – a twindemic. Why is that? And is this something that will follow the seasons around the world? We hear from Lorna and her daughter Willow on Willow’s persistent cough and from Dr Michelle Jacobs who’s a consultant in paediatric and adult emergency medicine at Watford General Hospital in the UK on concerns of RSV and viral wheeze, and Tracy Hussell, professor in immunology at the University of Manchester on children’s long-term immunity especially for babies who are seeing all these infections for the first time.

Downs Syndrome and Covid-19

There’s new research just published in the British Medical Journal looking at how both adults and children with Downs Syndrome have been affected if they contract Covid. Some countries such as India are prioritising vaccination against Covid-19 for adults with Downs Syndrome. University College London’s Professor Monica Lakhanpaul’s work has been instrumental in helping clinics to start vaccinating people in India. And in the UK it’s just been announced that children with Downs Syndrome will be able to get vaccinated, which isn’t the case for all children. Monica explains the relevance of the research and her work in highlighting the issue.

Image: Vaccine bottles in a row

Credit: Helder Faria/Getty Images

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

Producer: Erika Wright