How Can I Help Prevent The Spread Of The Flu
Vaccinate! Vaccination is the most important thing you can do to prevent illness for both yourself and others.
You can also practice good habits to help prevent the spread of the flu:
Limit Contact! Try to avoid close contact with sick people. If you are sick, limit contact with others as much as possible so that you dont infect someone else.
Stay Home! Stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone, except to get medical care or for other necessities. Your fever should be gone without using fever-reducing medicine.
Dont Touch! Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
Use Those Tissues! Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. If you dont have a tissue, dont sneeze into your hands! Sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow.
Wash! Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
Clean it Up! Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.
For those who are uninsured and or under- insured we provide a sliding scale. Please bring in proof of insurance and immunization records for your child. Children under age 19 and college students are also welcome.
Childhood & Adolescent Immunizations
It is very important that all children get all vaccines according to the recommended vaccination schedule. The schedule is designed to provide children with the protection they need when they need it most. Getting all of their recommended shots on time gives them the best protection from serious and sometimes deadly diseases.
Vaccinations For School And Day Care
Vaccines protect the health of your child and the other children at their school.
All NYC students ages 2 months to 18 years must receive certain vaccinations. That includes children in public, private or parochial school, as well as those in day care, Head Start, pre-K or nursery school. Any child who does not meet these requirements will be sent home from school.
The only children who do not require vaccination are those with medical exemptions. There are no religious exemptions for vaccination requirements in New York.
Visit your health care provider before school starts to get your child vaccinated. You can find a health care provider who can vaccinate your child by searching the NYC Health Map or .
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Pfizer Ceo Pledges Vaccines To Low
New York Hundreds of unvaccinated health care workers across New York were suspended Tuesday and could soon lose their jobs entirely as the state’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers went into effect overnight.
Vaccinating Health Care Workers Against Influenza: The Ethical And Legal Rationale For A Mandate
Article notesCopyright and License informationDisclaimerContributors
A. L. Ottenberg drafted and revised the article. J. T. Wu assisted with the drafting of the article and provided legal analysis. G. A. Poland and R. M. Jacobson provided scientific expertise, clinical input, and article review. B. A. Koenig provided ethical analysis. J. C. Tilburt assisted with the drafting of the article, provided ethical analysis, and performed a detailed critique. All authors approved the final article.
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Schools And Child Care Programs
New York State Public Health Law Section 2164 and New York Codes, Rules and Regulations Title 10, Subpart 66-1 require every student entering or attending public, private or parochial school in New York State to be immune to diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, varicella and meningococcal in accordance with Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations. In the 2020-21 school year, meningococcal immunization is required for grades 7 through 12.
Every child in day care, Head Start, nursery school or prekindergarten in NYS must be immune to diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, varicella, Haemophilus influenzae type b , and pneumococcal disease.
Public Health Law Section 2164 provides for medical exemptions to immunization.
Full details on school and child care immunization requirements are available at New York State Immunization Requirements for School Entrance/Attendance .
Colleges Universities And Other Post
NYS Public Health Law Section 2165 and NYCRR Title 10, Subpart 66-2 require students attending post-secondary institutions, who were born on or after January 1, 1957 and registered for 6 or more credit hours, to demonstrate proof of immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella. Public Health Law Section 2165 provides for medical and religious exemptions to immunization.
Full details on post-secondary institution measles, mumps and rubella immunization requirements are available at New York State Public Health Law Section 2165 Immunization Requirements for Students
NYS Public Health Law Section 2167 requires post-secondary institutions to distribute, on a form provided or approved by the NYS Commissioner of Health, written information about meningococcal meningitis and meningococcal immunization to each student who is enrolled for at least 6 semester hours. This section also requires each such student to certify that they have already received immunization against meningococcal meningitis or that they have received and reviewed the information provided by the institution, understand the risks of meningococcal meningitis and the benefits of immunization, and have decided not to obtain the meningococcal vaccine.
Additional information on this requirement is available at Information for College/University Student Health Services.
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Governor Cuomo Announces Covid
Department of Health Issues Section 16 Orders to Hospitals and Long-Term Care Facilities Requiring Policy to Ensure All Employees Are Vaccinated
First Dose Required by September 27
Department of Health Authorizes Third Dose for Immunocompromised New Yorkers
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that all healthcare workers in New York State, including staff at hospitals and long-term care facilities , including nursing homes, adult care, and other congregate care settings, will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Monday, September 27. The State Department of Health will issue Section 16 Orders requiring all hospital, LTCF, and nursing homes to develop and implement a policy mandating employee vaccinations, with limited exceptions for those with religious or medical reasons. To date, 75% of the state’s ~450,000 hospital workers, 74% of the state’s ~30,000 adult care facility workers, and 68% of the state’s ~145,500 nursing home workers have completed their vaccine series. Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration was briefed prior to the announcement.
Governor Cuomo also announced that the Department of Health has authorized a third COVID-19 vaccine dose for New Yorkers with compromised immune systems, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation last week. Eligible New Yorkers can receive their third dose 28 days after the completion of their two-dose vaccine series, effective immediately.
Judge Halts Mandatory Flu Vaccines For Health Care Workers
Updated, 4:21 p.m. | A judge on Friday morning halted enforcement of a New York State directiverequiring that all health care workers be vaccinated for the seasonal flu and swine flu.
The temporary restraining order by the judge, Thomas J. McNamara, an acting justice of the State Supreme Court in Albany, comes amid a growing debate about the flu vaccine. On Friday afternoon, the State Department of Health vowed to fight the restraining order, saying that the authorities have clear legal authority to require vaccinations, and noted that state courts had upheld mandatory vaccinations of health care workers against rubella and tuberculosis. Justice McNamara scheduled a hearing for Oct. 30 on the three cases before him, involving the flu vaccine.
The state health commissioner, Dr. Richard F. Daines, through the State Hospital Review and Planning Council, issued a regulation on Aug. 13 ordering health care workers to be vaccinated by Nov. 30 or face fines.
Dr. Daines later explained the reasoning behind the vaccine, saying in a statement on Sept. 24:
Terence L. Kindlon, a lawyer for three nurses who sued the state, asserting that the order violated their civil rights, said the judges ruling was a victory. New York was the only state in the country to mandate vaccinations for health care workers, he said.
The nurses Lorna Patterson, Kathryn Dupuis and Stephanie Goertz work in the emergency room at Albany Medical Center, a regional trauma unit.
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How Will The Mandate Be Enforced
Much of the meeting was spent on answering board members questions regarding the scope of professions and roles covered by the vaccine mandate.
Harvey Lawrence, a committee member and president and CEO of BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers in Brooklyn, expressed concern about universal implementation across the state.
“Really, across the board, anyone that’s having a touch point on a patient including a nurse, PAs, NPs if they’re practicing in a private setting or an institutional setting, there should be compliance with this regulation,” Lawrence said. “I am not really clear exactly how that’s going to be enforced.”
Lawrence asked for clarity on execution of the mandate, expressing concern that health care facilities might see an “out-migration” of personnel if there are opportunities elsewhere for people to work that will not require the vaccine.
“This is a mandate,” Lawrence said. “What are the penalties and what’s the enforcement requirements?”
DOH leaders had vague answers to questions regarding enforcement and punishment for non-compliance. Administrators of hospitals, diagnostic centers, home care agencies, etc. will be responsible for ensuring their personnel are vaccinated, Murphy said.
Alternatives, like masking and weekly surveillance testing for individuals who have not received a COVID-19 shot, were not discussed in the meeting.
Statements By The Governor Have Become An Issue
In recent days, lawyers for the plaintiffs in the two federal cases are trying out a new argument, one focusing on Gov. Kathy Hochul, who succeeded Mr. Cuomo in August. During visits to churches on Sunday, Ms. Hochul said that God inspired scientists to create a vaccine and wants people to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
I know youre vaccinated, youre the smart ones, but you know theres people out there who arent listening to God and what God wants, she said at the Christian Cultural Center, a megachurch in Brooklyn. You know who they are.
The governors statements demonstrated a special hostility toward people of a particular faith, We the Patriots USAs lawyers wrote in court papers filed on Tuesday.
In an interview, Mr. Ferrara, the lawyer in the Utica case, said he also intended to raise the governors statements in court.
What the governor has done here is openly express religious animus toward those who disagree this is incredible with her religious view, said Mr. Ferrara, a special counsel to the Thomas More Society, a conservative, nonprofit law firm that often represents anti-abortion groups.
Through a spokeswoman, the governor declined to comment on the litigation.
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Childhood Diseases Are Preventable
Visit the Immunization FAQ for answers to the most frequently asked questions.
In addition, check the Fact Sheet on Vaccine-Preventable Childhood Diseases for a better idea as to what it is you are protecting your child against.
New York State
For additional information and fact sheets on immunizations, please visit the following sites:
Seasonal Flu: Vaccine And Prevention
Everyone 6 months and older should get a seasonal flu vaccination each year. Seasonal flu vaccines are safe and the most effective way to protect yourself against getting sick.
To maintain your protection, you need a flu vaccine each year. It is best to get vaccinated in the fall, but you can be vaccinated through late spring.
Flu vaccines are widely available at doctors offices, pharmacies, community health clinics and through employer-sponsored programs. Most health insurance plans cover flu vaccination without a co-pay. There are also many ways for New Yorkers without health insurance to get low-cost vaccines, including at NYC H+H sites.
Be sure to call ahead to check for vaccine availability.
Influenza germs are highly contagious and easily transmitted through contact with an infected person who is coughing and sneezing. In addition to getting vaccinated, you can prevent the flu by washing your hands often with soap and water and avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands.
High-Risk Groups
Everyone should get the flu vaccine every year. People in the following groups are more likely to get severely sick and have complications from seasonal flu, so it is especially important for them to get vaccinated.
Flu Vaccine and COVID-19
Essential workers should also receive a seasonal flu vaccine. This includes:
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Vaccination Information For Pharmacists
New York State-licensed pharmacists, certified by the New York State Department of Education to vaccinate, can provide influenza, pneumococcal, meningococcal, herpes zoster and tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccines to persons 18 years of age and older. Certified pharmacists can also administer influenza vaccine to persons 2 years of age and older. Pharmacists who have not been certified as an immunizer can learn more about how to become a certified immunizer in New York.
Pharmacists who wish to administer vaccines must get a non-patient specific standing order from a licensed New York State physician or nurse practitioner. In NYC, pharmacists who plan to vaccinate must get their non-patient standing order from a physician or nurse practitioner who is licensed in New York State and located in NYC.
See a sample version of a template non-patient specific standing order document .
On August 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services amended the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act , authorizing State-licensed pharmacists to order and administer ACIP-recommended vaccines to individuals ages 3 through 18 years, to increase access to childhood vaccines and decrease the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. You can review the details of this amendment and pharmacist requirements.
The New York State Mandate
In late August 2009, New York became the only state to mandate influenza vaccination of health care workers. Adopted by the state Department of Health as an emergency regulation , the regulation required seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccination of a majority of health care personnel employed by or affiliated with hospitals. The regulation left it to individual hospitals to determine what to do with those refusing vaccination.
The Commissioner of Health argued that health care personnel should be vaccinated to maintain patient safety stand behind the science of vaccinations and help ensure adequate staffing levels. It was emphasized that past voluntary efforts had left a significant portion of health care workers unvaccinated, and also that hospitals already require measles and rubella vaccination and annual TB testing as conditions of employment. Other hospitals have mandated vaccination, and the military requires influenza vaccinations.
Several lawsuits sought to block the mandate as improperly changing employment conditions, and requiring health care workers to undergo a medical treatment with unclear risks. In late October, the Governor suspended the regulation outright, citing supply concerns.
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Legal Foundations For Health Care Worker Vaccine Mandate
Mandatory influenza vaccination of health care workers fits within the framework of constitutional powers that the government possesses to promote the public’s welfare. Government has both the responsibility and the power to restrict individual activities that threaten liberties of others and the common good. Under the US Constitution, the power to restrict individual liberties for public health purposes is primarily reserved for individual states through police power. The police power of the state is the inherent authority of the state to enact laws and promulgate regulations to protect, preserve and promote the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the people.45 For the purposes of public health, the federal government’s authority is generally limited to regulating interstate commerce, taxing, and spending.
Nyc Board Of Health Approves Flu Shot Mandate For Young Children
NEW YORK — Children who go to preschool or day care in New York City will now be required to get flu shots.
The Board of Health voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of the mandatory vaccine for children under 6 years old. The new rule takes effect in 30 days and will be required for about 150,000 children.
“Because the regulation is being adopted at this current time period, we actually won’t be officially enforcing it until one year from now,” Dr. Jay Varma, deputy commissioner for disease control, told 1010 WINS. “The requirement is that children who are attending a licensed preschool or day care center need to have received their influenza vaccination by Dec. 31 of any given year.”
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Scientific Evidence Supporting Vaccine Efficacy
The annual morbidity and mortality caused by influenza is a serious public health issue. Each year in the United States, seasonal influenza causes on average more than 200 000 hospitalizations and 36 000 deaths.6 Influenza is the sixth leading cause of death among US adults and is related to 1 in 20 deaths in persons older than 65 years.7,8
On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization officially recognized the influenza A virus pandemic, and on October 24, 2009, President Obama declared a national public health emergency.9,10 Recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates indicate that H1N1 has resulted in an estimated 42 to 86 million cases and 8520 to 17 620 deaths.11 Note that the CDC has recommended vaccination of health care workers against influenza since 1981.