Summer’s ending, school’s starting back up and the dreaded respiratory virus season is getting underway. City and state health officials are urging New Yorkers to get vaccinated against the flu, COVID-19 and RSV to stay healthy.
COVID-related hospitalizations are on the rise in New York City, with more than 500 admissions recorded in the five boroughs between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5, state data shows. That’s the most weekly hospitalizations since early October of last year. During the first week of September, there were also 12 COVID-related deaths.
Confirmed COVID cases are also ticking up, although overall COVID levels remain lower so far this season than in years past, the data shows. State wastewater surveillance data, which tracks the presence of the virus in untreated sewage, tells a similar story.
Hospital emergency department visits for RSV, short for respiratory syncytial virus, are also ticking up, while visits for the flu remain flat, according to city data.
City and state health officials say vaccines are the best protection against getting sick during respiratory virus season and are endorsing a slate of vaccine recommendations backed by several major medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID vaccines in late August. But, like last year, the agency only recommended the shots for people who are over 65 or have underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk for severe illness.
The guidance endorsed by city and state health officials, by contrast, broadly recommends that all adults get updated COVID shots and specifies that includes people who are pregnant.
It also recommends vaccination for all children between 6 months and 2 years old, and for other children who either have health conditions that put them at higher risk or whose parents simply want them to get vaccinated.
The guidelines also recommend an annual flu shot for everyone over 6 months old and vaccination against RSV for older adults and infants.
“Each respiratory virus season, we see increased levels of flu, RSV and COVID-19 infections, and New Yorkers deserve the most accurate and reliable information available when it comes to protecting their family’s health,” said Dr. Alister Martin, the city health commissioner.
Last year, changing federal guidance on COVID shots caused confusion and put up new barriers to access. But city health officials said anyone who wants to get vaccinated this season should be able to, adding that the immunizations they’re recommending continue to be covered by private and public insurance plans as well as the federal Vaccines for Children Program.
For those seeking a COVID vaccine in New York, CVS’ online scheduler doesn’t ask about underlying medical conditions. Walgreens does ask patients to confirm they are “at high risk for severe COVID-19” but doesn’t ask for a prescription or any proof.
Walgreens told the New York Times its pharmacies are allowing patients to self-attest that they qualify for a COVID shot, while CVS said it is only requiring prescriptions in Louisiana.
New Yorkers can look up where to get vaccinated using the city’s map of providers.
