Passengers arrive at Perth domestic airport in Perth, Australia on March 3, 2022. Australia was fully open to vaccinated travelers after Western Australia on March 3 became the last state to lift border restrictions. (RICHARD WAINWRIGHT / AAP IMAGE VIA AP)

CANBERRA / ULAN BATOR / KUALA LUMPUR / NEW DELHI - An expert warned that Australia is set for a return of influenza in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cases of influenza hit an all-time low in Australia in 2021 as a result of strict lockdowns and border closures that were implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

There were 598 confirmed cases in 2021 and zero deaths compared to 313,033 infections and 953 deaths prior to the pandemic in 2019.

Experts have warned that Australians' natural immunity to influenza has likely waned during the pandemic

However, Ian Barr, deputy director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, said that with restrictions lifted it was a matter of time until the flu returned to Australia.

"I think in 2022 we'll see the return of influenza," he told state broadcaster SBS. "The only question is how severe the season will be, and that's difficult to judge. I don't think we're going to have a big year like 2017 or 2019, but we will see a low-to-moderate year I think."

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Experts have warned that Australians' natural immunity to influenza has likely waned during the pandemic.

The national influenza immunization program will begin on April 4, with Australians urged to get vaccinated to protect the health system from a double blow of surging COVID and flu infections.

Barr said the vaccine was designed based on information collected by the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory on the influenza strains most likely to emerge in 2022.

"That involves isolating viruses, growing viruses, and then purifying and inactivating the viruses," he said.

"We make decisions around six-to-nine months before the viruses actually circulate, and make those available to manufacturers who scale up production and make vaccines."

On Sunday, Australia reported more than 40,000 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths, according to health department figures from states and territories.

A health worker prepares to inoculate a child with a dose of the COVID-19 coronavirus Corbevax vaccine during a vaccination drive for the 12-14 age group at a school in Hyderabad on March 22, 2022. (NOAH SEELAM / AFP)

India

India's COVID-19 tally rose to 43,019,453 on Sunday as 1,421 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.

Besides, 149 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Saturday morning, taking the total death toll to 521,004.

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There are still 16,187 active COVID-19 cases in the country as there was a fall of 554 active cases during the past 24 hours. This was the 61st consecutive day when the number of active cases declined in the country.

So far 42,482,262 people have been successfully cured and discharged from hospitals so far, out of which 1,826 were discharged during the past 24 hours. 

Malaysia

Malaysia reported 20,923 new COVID-19 infections, as of midnight Saturday, bringing the national total to 4,122,004, according to the health ministry.

There are 228 new imported cases, with 20,695 being local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed.

A further 34 deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 34,751.

The ministry reported 25,467 new recoveries, bringing the total number of cured and discharged to 3,844,766.

There are 242,487 active cases, 302 are being held in intensive care and 198 of those are in need of assisted breathing.

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The country reported 31,595 vaccine doses administered on Saturday alone and 84.1 percent of the population have received at least one dose, 79 percent are fully vaccinated and 47.8 percent have received boosters.

Mongolia

Mongolia recorded 25 new COVID-19 local infections over the past 24 hours, the lowest since March 6, 2021, when eight daily cases were reported, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

The country's COVID-19 tally has now increased to 469,041, and its COVID-19 death toll stands at 2,108, with no new deaths reported in the last day, the ministry said in a statement.

Currently, there are 1,588 active COVID-19 cases across the country.

Almost 67 percent of Mongolia's population of 3.4 million has received two COVID-19 vaccine doses, 1,031,637 people have received a third dose and 113,896 have received a voluntary fourth shot.

With a high vaccination coverage and declining daily infections, Mongolia has essentially returned to normal life. It has resumed in-person classes for all educational institutions and fully opened its borders to foreign tourists.