With flu season already underway, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is reminding people that vaccinations are still the best way to prevent the spread of seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus.
“The best way to protect yourself or your loved ones from becoming very ill is to get vaccinated,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley. “People in priority groups are at higher risk of hospitalization and death if they get sick. So don’t take the risk – get the vaccine today.”
Those who are most recommended for the vaccines are children six months to 18; adults 50 and older, and particularly those over 65; pregnant women; those with chronic health problems; people in nursing homes or long-term care facilities; healthcare workers; people who are in close contact with children under five on a daily basis; and people in close contact with adults over 50 or people with chronic health conditions on a daily basis.
Although those groups are being targeted to get the vaccinations, restrictions that had been placed on getting the H1N1 vaccine were lifted by the Health Department in December.
According to a recent Health Department press release, “vaccines to prevent both types of influenza are widely available.”
More information about the flu, including assistance on getting vaccinated, is available by visiting nyc.gov/flu or call 3-1-1.
