Education Qualifications: MBBS, MRCPCH (UK), MMed (Paeds), FAMS
Dr Thoon is trained in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto in 2007, and has been appointed Head of Infectious Disease Service at KKH since June 2010. He has been Chairman of the Hospital Infection Control Committee since 2014, and is currently the hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme Director, and Yong Loo Lin Paediatrics Undergraduate Programme Coordinator in KKH. He is Chairman of the National Verification Committee for Measles Elimination and Vice-Chairperson of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Control Committee in MOH, and Chairman of the SingHealth Hand Hygiene Workgroup, in addition to multiple other committees.
His most recent awards include the Wong Hock Boon Society Outstanding Mentor Award, the Dean’s Teaching Award and Dean’s Special Recognition Award from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine for teaching excellence, as well as the SingHealth Publish! Award. In 2013, he was awarded the Excellent Team Player Award for Protection of Public Health & Safety by HSA for his contribution to public health in the area of vaccine vigilance and safety.
He has authored or co-authored >60 peer-reviewed articles, letters, editorials, books and book chapters.
Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships:
- Head & Senior Consultant, Infectious Diseases Service, KK Women's and Children's Hospital
- Adjunct Associate Professor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
- Adjunct Associate Professor, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
- Chairman, SingHealth Hand Hygiene Workgroup (2017 – Present)
- Member, National Outbreak Response Team (MOH) (2016 – Present)
- Chairman, Hospital Infection Control Committee (2014 – Present)
- Chairman, National Verification Committee for Measles Elimination (MOH) (2014 – Present)
- Vice-Chairperson, National Antimicrobial Resistance Control Committee (MOH) (2014 – Present)
- Member, Medical Board (2014 – Present)
- JCI Lead, Prevention and Control of Infections (2013 – Present)
- Member, SingHealth Infection Control & Prevention Workgroup (2013 – Present)
- Member, SAF Expert Committee on Immunisation (2013 – Present)
- Fellow, Academy of Medicine (Singapore) (2012 – Present)
- Member, Expert Committee on Immunisation (MOH) (2010 – Present)
- Member, Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee, (2009 – Present)
Awards:
- SingHealth SPREE You Shine Award (2017)
- Wong Hock Boon Society- SMA Charity Fund Outstanding Mentor Award (2016)
- Singapore Health Quality Service Award (Silver) (2016)
- SingHealth Publish! Award (Medical Research) (2015)
- Dean’s Special Recognition Award & Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence (Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS) (2015)
- Excellent Team Player Award for Protection of Public Health & Safety (HSA) (2013)
- Outstanding Poster Award (KK ASM) (2013)
- National Innovation Quality Circle (NIQC) Award (Gold) (2011)
- HMDP (Human Manpower Development Program) Award (2007)
Leadership positions / roles in Education:
- Paediatrics Undergraduate Programme Coordinator in KKH, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Research Interests: Includes but not limited to epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases, respiratory viral diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, infection control, adverse events following immunization.
Selected Publications:
Varicella meningitis with concomitant genital shingles in an adolescent. Chan SH, Thoon KC, Nagarajan N. BMJ Case Rep. 2019 Aug 21;12(8). pii: e230898. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2019-230898.
Antecedent Carbapenem Exposure as a Risk Factor for Non-Carbapenemase-Producing Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (NCPCRE) and Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). Marimuthu K, Ng OT, Cherng BPZ, Fong RKC, Pada SK, De PP, Ooi ST, Smitasin N, Thoon KC, Krishnan PU, Ang M, Chan DSG, Kwa ALH, Deepak RN, Chan YK, Chan YFZ, Huan X, Linn KZ, Tee NWS, Tan TY, Koh TH, Lin RTP, Hsu LY, Sengupta S, Paterson DL, Perencevich E, Harbarth S, Teo J, Venkatachalam I; CaPES study group. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2019 Aug 5. pii: AAC.00845-19. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00845-19. [Epub ahead of print]
Coverage and determinants of influenza vaccine among pregnant women: a cross-sectional study. Offeddu V, Tam CC, Yong TT, Tan LK, Thoon KC, Lee N, Tan TC, Yeo GSH, Yung CF. BMC Public Health. 2019 Jul 5;19(1):890. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7172-8.
Invasive paediatric Elizabethkingia meningoseptica infections are best treated with a combination of piperacillin/tazobactam and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole or fluoroquinolone.
Chan JC, Chong CY, Thoon KC, Tee NWS, Maiwald M, Lam JCM, Bhattacharya R, Chandran S, Yung CF, Tan NWH.J Med Microbiol. 2019 Aug;68(8):1167-1172. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.001021. Epub 2019 Jun 14.
Juvenile-Onset Immunodeficiency Secondary to Anti-Interferon-Gamma Autoantibodies. Liew WK, Thoon KC, Chong CY, Tan NWH, Cheng DT, Chan BSW, Ng MSY, Das L, Arkachaisri T, Huang CH, Kuan JL, Chai LYA, Koh MJA.
J Clin Immunol. 2019 Jul;39(5):512-518. doi: 10.1007/s10875-019-00652-1. Epub 2019 Jun 8.
Taurolidine-citrate lock solution for the prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infection in paediatric haematology-oncology and gastrointestinal failure patients with high baseline central-line associated bloodstream infection rates. Chong CY, Ong RY, Seah VX, Tan NW, Chan MY, Soh SY, Ong C, Lim AS, Thoon KC. J Paediatr Child Health. 2019 May 30. doi: 10.1111/jpc.14506. [Epub ahead of print]
A Review of Four Cases of Leptospirosis Presenting for Acute Care to a Tertiary Paediatric Hospital in Singapore.
Ho CW, Tan NW, Thoon KC, Chong CY. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2019 Mar;48(3):104-108.
A Case of Serious Adverse Reaction Following Rabies Vaccination.
Kang Z, Chiang WC, Goh SH, Goh AEN, Wong PCY, Thoon KC, Tan NWH. Glob Pediatr Health. 2018 Dec 10;5:2333794X18817143. doi:10.1177/2333794X18817143. eCollection 2018.
Paediatric tuberculosis in Singapore: a retrospective review. Loh SW, Thoon KC, Tan NWH, Li J, Chong CY.
BMJ Paediatr Open. 2018 Sep 11;2(1):e000308. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2018-000308. eCollection 2018.
Prevalence of Respiratory Polyomaviruses Among Pediatric Patients With Respiratory Symptoms in Singapore.
Hansen-Estruch C, Coleman KK, Thoon KC, Low JG, Anderson BD, Gray GC. Front Pediatr. 2018 Aug 17;6:228. doi: 10.3389/fped.2018.00228. eCollection 2018.