New York City health officials urged ongoing vigilance against the flu Thursday, including flu shots for kids and adults.
A record 4,546 New Yorkers were hospitalized with the flu as of the last week of December, according to the latest state data. And while flu cases started to decline that week after hitting record highs, the virus remains in heavy circulation, Dr. Michelle Morse, the acting city health commissioner, said in a briefing.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Morse said, adding that flu season can be unpredictable and could extend into May.
The city’s renewed call for vaccination against the flu comes after the Trump administration made changes to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s childhood vaccination schedule this week that deprioritized flu shots and some other vaccines.
Some vaccines that were previously recommended for all children are now recommended by the CDC only for high-risk children or those whose parents have engaged in “shared clinical decision-making” with their doctors.
State health officials have said the changes will not affect New York’s school vaccination requirements and have directed health care providers to continue their existing immunization practices.
The flu shot is currently only required for children in day care and pre-K in New York, but Morse said Thursday everyone should get it.
“It’s not too late for New Yorkers to receive their flu vaccine,” Morse said. “While the current flu strain has developed mutations, the currently available, updated flu shot has still been shown to prevent serious complications and hospitalizations.”
Hospitalizations related to the flu continued to climb the last week in December, even as cases fell, state data shows. Two children have died from the flu this season, according to the state report. During last year’s season, 27 children died from the flu in New York.
The CDC’s new recommendation that only certain children should get the flu vaccine “could have deadly consequences nationwide,” Morse said. “We reject that guidance.”
Federal officials have cited waning public confidence in vaccines and the practices of other countries in the decision to change childhood vaccine guidance, and have said the affected vaccines must still be covered by insurance.
But some public health experts worry the move will be counterproductive.
“At a time when parents, pediatricians and the public are looking for clear guidance and accurate information, this ill-considered decision will sow further chaos and confusion and erode confidence in immunizations” Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a statement Monday.
New state data on flu cases and hospitalizations is due out Friday.
