The properties of the scalar and vector correlations in the hot and/or dense hadronic matter close to chiral transition are discussed. Presuming that the linear realization of chiral symmetry will become appropriate at least near the critical point, we argue that the strength function in theI=J=0channel will soften near the critical point, and the sigma meson will accordingly become a clearer resonance in hot and/or dense medium than in the free space. It is shown that the steep rise of the baryon-number susceptibility&khgr;Baround the critical point seen in the lattice simulations may suggest that the interactions between quarks in the vector channel become week near the critical point; this implies that the peculiar behavior of the&khgr;Bdoes not necessarily imply a proliferation of baryons and antibaryons (Skyrmions) which is though a natural scenario of chiral transition in the non-linear realization of chiral symmetry. ©2001 American Institute of Physics.