Flu Hits NYC Hard and Early: What’s Going On?

New York City is facing a tough flu season, and it’s hitting hard and early. The city is seeing a lot more flu cases than usual for this time of year. The CDC reports that NYC and nearby areas like Long Island and northern New Jersey are some of the worst-hit places in the country. Health officials are worried. They say the flu is spreading fast. Dr. Michelle Morse, the city’s acting health commissioner, is urging everyone to get vaccinated and be careful if they feel sick. She says flu cases are shooting up quickly. Schools are feeling the impact too. Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn had to close its Dyker Heights campus because so many students got sick. About one-third of the students were out in just a few days. The school had to clean the building thoroughly before reopening. This year’s flu strain, H3N2, is tricky. Experts say it has changed in ways that might make it harder for the immune system to fight it off. That could mean the flu shot isn’t as effective this year. But early data from the UK suggests the vaccine can still help prevent serious illness and hospital stays.Hospitals are busy too. Emergency rooms in NYC are seeing more flu patients. In late November, the number of ER patients diagnosed with the flu jumped from 0. 6% to 1. 6%, then to 3. 4% the next week. Last flu season was bad, and this one might be just as tough. By the end of November, NYC had already recorded over 10, 000 lab-confirmed flu cases. That’s a lot, especially since last year, they didn’t hit that number until late December. Statewide, over 3, 000 people have been hospitalized with the flu so far. That’s nearly 10% of last season’s total. But here’s the thing: not enough people are getting vaccinated. Only about 22% of New Yorkers outside the city have gotten the flu shot this season. In NYC, just over 25% of children ages 6 months and older are vaccinated. That’s a drop of 6. 5% compared to the same time last year.