NYC Health Officials Warn of Continued Flu Threat Amid Vaccine Concerns
The city's flu season shows no signs of abating, with over 128,000 confirmed cases in New York City this winter, a significant increase from last year. The number of new cases has declined somewhat, but health officials are urging continued vigilance and caution.
"We're not out of the woods yet," said Dr. Morse, who is leading the city's response to the flu outbreak. "Flu season can be unpredictable, and we may still see an increase in cases as the season extends into May."
The city's renewed call for vaccination comes at a time when the Trump administration has made changes to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's childhood vaccination schedule. The new guidelines deprioritize flu shots and some other vaccines, recommending them only for high-risk children or those whose parents have engaged in "shared clinical decision-making" with their doctors.
However, city health officials are urging New Yorkers to disregard these changes and get vaccinated anyway. "It's not too late for New Yorkers to receive their flu vaccine," said Dr. Morse. "While the current flu strain has developed mutations, the currently available, updated flu shot has still been shown to prevent serious complications and hospitalizations."
New York City is a notable exception, as the city's school vaccination requirements remain unchanged. Healthcare providers are also directed to continue their existing immunization practices.
The flu has had a devastating impact on New York this winter, with over 4,500 people hospitalized with the virus in late December alone. Two children have reportedly died from the flu this season, and hospitalizations for all ages continue to rise.
Critics of the new guidelines warn that they could lead to increased cases of flu and even death nationwide. "The CDC's new recommendation that only certain children should get the flu vaccine 'could have deadly consequences nationwide,'" said Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Federal officials cite waning public confidence in vaccines and concerns from other countries as justification for the changes. However, public health experts worry that this decision will be counterproductive, sowing further chaos and confusion, and eroding trust in immunizations at a time when clear guidance is needed.
The city's flu season shows no signs of abating, with over 128,000 confirmed cases in New York City this winter, a significant increase from last year. The number of new cases has declined somewhat, but health officials are urging continued vigilance and caution.
"We're not out of the woods yet," said Dr. Morse, who is leading the city's response to the flu outbreak. "Flu season can be unpredictable, and we may still see an increase in cases as the season extends into May."
The city's renewed call for vaccination comes at a time when the Trump administration has made changes to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's childhood vaccination schedule. The new guidelines deprioritize flu shots and some other vaccines, recommending them only for high-risk children or those whose parents have engaged in "shared clinical decision-making" with their doctors.
However, city health officials are urging New Yorkers to disregard these changes and get vaccinated anyway. "It's not too late for New Yorkers to receive their flu vaccine," said Dr. Morse. "While the current flu strain has developed mutations, the currently available, updated flu shot has still been shown to prevent serious complications and hospitalizations."
New York City is a notable exception, as the city's school vaccination requirements remain unchanged. Healthcare providers are also directed to continue their existing immunization practices.
The flu has had a devastating impact on New York this winter, with over 4,500 people hospitalized with the virus in late December alone. Two children have reportedly died from the flu this season, and hospitalizations for all ages continue to rise.
Critics of the new guidelines warn that they could lead to increased cases of flu and even death nationwide. "The CDC's new recommendation that only certain children should get the flu vaccine 'could have deadly consequences nationwide,'" said Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Federal officials cite waning public confidence in vaccines and concerns from other countries as justification for the changes. However, public health experts worry that this decision will be counterproductive, sowing further chaos and confusion, and eroding trust in immunizations at a time when clear guidance is needed.
128k cases in nyc alone? that's wild. i'm glad the city's still pushing for vaccination though, it's not like we can control the virus or anything, but at least we got some protection 
. those changes to the vaccine schedule are pretty sketchy tho... what's next? prioritizing who gets vaccinated and who doesn't 
. anyway, 4500 ppl hospitalized in dec? that's insane 
. lets just hope people get their shots and don't spread it around too much 
. i'm still a bit worried about this though, flu season can be unpredictable and all...
! 128k+ cases so far this winter? That's like, crazy 
. I'm all for people getting their flu shot, but what's with these changes to the vaccination schedule? I mean, yeah, we get it, vaccine hesitancy is a thing, but do we really need to deprioritize flu shots?! 
It's like, we've got a highly contagious virus running around, and some kids might not even get vaccinated... that's a recipe for disaster 
! I'm gonna keep on getting my own flu shot, no matter what 
. #FluVaccineMatters #GetShotNYC
it's crazy how flu season is still going strong in nyc! 128k cases already? that's wild 
. i'm all for taking precautions and getting vaccinated, but i can see why people would be hesitant with these new guidelines 
. plus, hospitals are still super busy and it's just not worth the risk. dr morse is right, we're not out of the woods yet 
. let's all just get vaccinated and keep each other safe 
!
The devil's advocate in us all would say "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" 
- Eckhart Tolle.
NYC health officials r serious tho, we dont wanna see those 4500+ hospitalizations & 2 kid deaths 
the new CDC guidelines r just confusing rn, i think they should just stick with what works, u know? 
vaccine is still the best way to prevent flu complications & hospitalizations. can't let waning public confidence in vaccines affect our community's health 
. What if more people get sick and end up in hospitals? 
We've already seen it happen - those 4.5k hospitalizations and 2 kids dying from the flu... 
. And what's up with this "shared clinical decision-making" business? Sounds like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to me. I mean, shouldn't doctors be telling their patients what to do, not just consulting with them about it? 
. Wake up, people! We need to stay vigilant and question everything 
. What's wrong with giving flu shots to everyone? 
. It's like we're just going to sit back and wait for someone else to get sick? 
No way! We need to take care of ourselves and each other, not just some politicians who don't have a clue 
.
Flu shots can prevent serious complications and hospitalizations, don't you think? 
It's not too late to get vaccinated, folks! 
Let's all look out for each other here... I mean, let's all protect ourselves from the flu. 