Time to break out those vitamin C tablets NYC, the NY Health Department has announced that there have been 1,820 cases of influenza in the state so far this year. Get those flu shots, people!
You don’t want to ring in the New Year with sore bones, snotty sinuses, and a killer headache, right? Because that’s on the cards for many New Yorkers this year, especially if they haven’t had their flu shots.
The state’s Health Department announced on Thursday that influenza is officially widespread in NY state. There have been 1,820 confirmed cases of influenza in the state so far this year across 54 counties and all five boroughs of NYC. 612 of those cases required hospitalization, the flu is no joke.
Everyone over six months old should get a flu shot as soon as possible, Emergen-C might not cut it, that goes double for children under 2, pregnant women and adults over 65. Healthcare workers who haven’t had a shot have to now wear masks around patients.
Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker says everyone over 6 months old is encouraged to get a flu shot as soon as possible. He says the vaccine is especially important for people at high risk of complications from flu, including children under 2, pregnant women and adults over 65.
Typically flu season in the state goes on from October through to May, usually finding it’s peak in February. If this isn’t the peak we hate to see the snotty mess that NYC will be in by then. You’ve been warned SecretNYCers!
Featured image source [Pexels]