Soft morning sun through thinning haze over tall apartment towers and green tropical trees in a South East Asian city

Haze Clearing, Flu Rising: 2026 Prep Guide

By Boey Tze Zhouon Oct 31 2026

To prepare for the end of the haze and the rise in flu in 2026, do six things: check the air each day, ask about a flu vaccine, practise hand and cough habits, set up a sick-day plan, plan for children and elders, and know when to get help. In the latest World Health Organization bulletin, the share of tests finding flu was still climbing in Malaysia and Singapore up to 11 October, while haze readings were easing by late October. If anyone struggles to breathe, has chest pain that will not go, or has bluish lips, get emergency help now.

Every number has a source at the end, and our own view is labelled as our guide. This guide comes from ORGANO, an international brand operated by Fungitech Australia Pty Ltd and Fungitech Sdn Bhd. TYGRON® is our daily tiger milk mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerus) functional food, formulated in Australia. The daily habit comes last, and it is separate from the steps.

What do the latest readings say?

These are the latest readings we could check on 30 October 2026.

Place	Haze	Flu tests	What comes next
Malaysia	30 October, 10am: no area read unhealthy. 41 areas read moderate and 27 good (Oriental Daily, from APIMS)	Up from 28% to 30% positive, late September to 11 October (WHO)	Northeast monsoon, expected 27 October to March 2027, with 3 to 5 heavy rain spells expected from November to January (MetMalaysia).
Singapore	29 October: 24-hour PSI 68 to 77, moderate (NEA)	Up from 40% to 49% positive, late September to 11 October (WHO)	Flu is typically busier from December to March (CDA)

MetMalaysia's director general also warned haze could return in early 2027 if dry weather brings new fires (Oriental Daily).

The flu percentages above are samples sent for testing, not people. So 30% does not mean 3 in 10 Malaysians have flu. The WHO data stop at 11 October, so newer weeks may differ. Singapore's Communicable Diseases Agency said on 1 September there was no indication infections were more severe than usual. We found no later official word on how severe flu is this year. The share testing positive is up, though. WHO's 49% for Singapore is above the 43.9% the agency gave as its January 2025 peak, though the two may not be counted the same way.

One specialist saw haze and flu overlap. In The Star on 24 September, Dr Tan Wang Jie said: "It is now influenza season, with more patients coming in." Malaysia's Ministry of Health counted 3,875 respiratory infection cases in week 40 at 78 chosen health facilities, up from 3,509 the week before, Oriental Daily reported. That count covers all respiratory infections, not only flu.

Step 1: How do you check the air each day?

Look before you plan outdoor time. Moderate is not clear.

Malaysia: the Department of Environment's APIMS page or the MyJAS EQMS app.
Singapore: haze.gov.sg or the myENV app. NEA says to use the one-hour reading of fine dust (PM2.5) for what you do right now.

Masks and air cleaners are in our family haze kit. The why is in does haze make you fall sick.

Step 2: Who should ask about a flu vaccine?

This advice comes from the health ministries, not from us.

Malaysia: the Sabah Health Department, part of the Ministry of Health, advises a yearly flu vaccine from 6 months of age, at most private health facilities. It lists children under 5, pregnant women, people aged 65 and above, and people with long-term illness as higher risk.
Selected Malaysian government clinics: Malay Mail reported in May 2026 that the ministry vaccinates eligible people aged 50 and above with a long-term illness, and all adults aged 60 and above. Check MySejahtera for slots.
Singapore: the Ministry of Health said on 4 September that people at higher risk include seniors aged 65 and above, children from 6 months to under 5, and people with long-term health conditions. It prefers this year's newest flu vaccine. If you had an earlier shot, wait at least 8 weeks. Book at vaccine.gov.sg/flu, a CHAS GP or a polyclinic.

Do not leave it late. HealthHub says the vaccine takes at least 2 weeks to work. In a 2025 survey of 672 Malaysians aged 60 and above, reported by Malay Mail, only 29% had ever been vaccinated.

Step 3: Which hand and cough habits matter most?

Cough or sneeze into a tissue, bin it, then wash your hands with soap (Ministry of Health Malaysia leaflet).
Pack hand sanitiser and a mask in the school bag, as Penang's health committee chairman urged in The Star on 9 October.

Step 4: What goes in a sick-day plan?

Our guide: set it up before anyone falls ill, with a thermometer, tissues, masks, drinks, paracetamol and your clinic's number. The Ministry of Health Malaysia leaflet names paracetamol for fever and headache, so read the label for your child's age.

The WHO says: "People with the flu should rest and drink plenty of liquids. Most people will recover on their own within a week." If you must go out, Universiti Sains Malaysia's Dr Mastura Mohd Sopian told The Star: "Those who need to be around others while unwell should wear a mask and practise good hand hygiene."

If a cough stays, read cough after flu or why a cough lingers after haze. For the full year, read when flu season is in Malaysia.

Step 5: How do you plan for children and elders?

Start with them, because the health agencies above list them as higher risk.

Our guide for your household:

Keep regular medicines stocked before the heavy rain, in case roads flood.
Know when to go to the clinic. The Ministry of Health Malaysia asks people with cough, asthma, heart disease or long-term lung disease to come to the clinic at once if they get worse.

Step 6: When should you see a doctor or get emergency help?

See a doctor if a cough lasts more than 3 weeks (NHS). See a doctor urgently if you cough up blood (NHS). If you or your child has flu signs and is under 5, pregnant, older or has a long-term illness, see a doctor early. WHO lists them as more at risk. Also see a doctor for extreme weakness, drinking much less or a long fever (Dr Mastura).

Get emergency help now for these signs, listed by the US CDC. In Malaysia call 999. In Singapore call 995.

Adults: trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure that will not go, confusion, fits (seizures), or cannot be woken.
Children: fast or hard breathing, bluish lips or face, ribs pulling in with each breath, chest pain, fits (seizures), not alert when awake, no urine for 8 hours, or any fever in a baby under 12 weeks.

Also get help fast if a fever or cough gets better, then comes back or gets worse.

Frequently asked questions

Is 2026 a worse flu year in Malaysia and Singapore?

We found no official statement saying infections are more severe. Spread is a separate question: WHO showed the share of positive tests still rising in both places up to 11 October. Singapore's CDA said on 1 September there was no indication infections were more severe than usual. If you or your child feel worse, see a doctor.

Who should get a flu vaccine?

Ask your doctor. The health ministries of Malaysia and Singapore both name young children, seniors and people with long-term illness as higher risk, and Malaysia's Sabah Health Department also lists pregnant women.

I still have a cough after the haze. Could it be flu?

It could be the haze, flu or something else, and a cough alone cannot tell you. A Ministry of Health Malaysia leaflet says flu usually brings a high fever, heavy tiredness and body aches. See a doctor if the cough lasts more than 3 weeks or you feel worse, and urgently if you cough up blood. If you struggle to breathe or have chest pain that will not go, get emergency help now: 999 in Malaysia, 995 in Singapore.

Is the haze over?

Mostly, but it can come back, so check each day. On 30 October no area in Malaysia read unhealthy. NEA's Singapore reading on 29 October was still moderate. MetMalaysia warned haze could return in early 2027.

Where does a daily habit fit?

Separately. All the steps above stand whether or not you buy anything. A daily routine is for ordinary weeks. The Malaysian Herbal Monograph records that "Traditionally, Lignosus spp has been used for coughs and colds", under folk uses not backed by experimental or clinical data.

For ordinary days

TYGRON® 1 Box

An elderberry drink for ages 2 and up, with 1,000 mg of tiger milk mushroom sclerotium and 90 mg of Vitamin C for immune support in each sachet. Adults 1 to 2 sachets a day, ages 7 to 18 one sachet, ages 2 to 6 half a sachet. Not suitable under 2.

See TYGRON® →

About TYGRON®

TYGRON® by ORGANO is a tiger milk mushroom functional food taken daily by families in Malaysia and Singapore. It holds the Malaysia Book of Records for the highest 1,3/1,6 beta-glucan content in tiger milk mushroom in Malaysia. 1,3/1,6 beta-glucan is the most important active compound and quality benchmark in tiger milk mushroom, and a higher content signals greater potency and quality. TYGRON® is formulated in Australia, designed by our Sydney-based team (Fungitech Australia Pty Ltd) to one of the world's most stringent functional-food standards, then manufactured in Malaysia under GMP, HACCP and Halal-certified conditions. Why TYGRON® is formulated in Australia.

About the author

Written and reviewed by Boey Tze Zhou, Founder and CEO of ORGANO. Boey holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (First Class Honours) from Universiti Putra Malaysia and completed Stanford University's Introduction to Food and Health and the University of Minnesota's Integrative Health and Medicine specialization (including Herbal Medicine) through Coursera. With 20 years of mushroom learning and cultivation, he developed the TMM365+ slow-grown method behind the Malaysia Book of Records beta-glucan certification held by Fungitech Sdn Bhd. He is an international speaker on functional mushrooms, invited to China International Mushroom Day 2025 and other mushroom-science events across the Asia-Pacific, and was named one of the Top Ten Outstanding Penang Youth (TOPY) in 2024. Read more about the founder

Sources

This article is general information, not medical advice. TYGRON® is a functional food. If symptoms are severe or persistent, please see a doctor. TYGRON® and the ORGANO logo are registered trademarks of Fungitech Sdn Bhd, registered in Malaysia.

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