Governor

Officials Plead With New Yorkers to Get Flu Shot as Record Number of People Are Hospitalized

State health officials say a drastic rise in flu cases has hospitalized more than 1,600 New Yorkers this past week alone.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that all New Yorkers six months of age and older over who haven't received a flu shot yet should get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Cuomo says the health department reports influenza cases rose by 54 percent over the past week, with new cases diagnosed in all 62 counties.

Influenza Surveillance Report (Week Ending Jan. 27, 2018)
Click on each state for more information.

Data: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Nina Lin/NBC

The 1,606 New Yorkers hospitalized the past week with lab-confirmed flu is the highest weekly number since the health agency reporting began in 2004, according to Cuomo. 

Health officials say as of last Sunday, there were 17,362 confirmed cases of flu reported, with more than 5,200 people hospitalized this season.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us