Flu Sickens Fewer New Yorkers For 2nd Straight Week

NEW YORK, NY — The flu continued its retreat last week as the number of new cases in New York dropped for the second week in a row, state officials said. The virus sickened 6,414 people in the week ending March 3, fewer than half as many as the week before, according to state Department of Health figures published Thursday.

The number of flu-related hospitalizations also fell for the fourth straight week to 1,026, a 41 percent drop from the prior week, the figures show.

The virus has been widespread in New York for more than three months, but the new numbers indicate it's waning after a record-breaking peak in the flu season. Officials, though, still encouraged New Yorkers to get a flu shot to ward off the virus even as the spring approaches.

"While these numbers are encouraging, I continue to urge anyone who hasn't yet been vaccinated to get vaccinated to protect yourself and your loved ones," Dr. Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, said in a statement Thursday.

More than 107,000 New Yorkers have caught the flu at some point since the season started in October, state figures show. Over 40,000, or about 37.5 percent, have come from New York City, with Brooklyn and the Bronx leading the five boroughs.

Some 19,373 people have been hospitalized with the flu this season, almost double the average of 10,571 recorded over the previous four years, state officials said.

New York was one of 34 states where the flu remained widespread last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state saw record-high numbers of flu cases in several weeks this winter as this year's vaccine struggled to tackle the A(H3N2) strain of the virus, which the CDC has said is most prevalent this year.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo continued his call on Thursday for state legislation permanently allowing pharmacists to vaccinate kids as young as 2. The governor recently extended his executive order authorizing those vaccinations.

"The flu epidemic has tested New York communities for months, and we continue to do everything in our power to fight the spread of this virus," Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement. "The good news is that cases have decreased for the second straight week, but I continue to encourage New Yorkers to remain vigilant and take the appropriate steps to help stop the spread of the flu."

Here's a map showing where you can get a flu shot if you still need one.

(Lead image: Photo by Image Point Fr/Shutterstock)