Long Island, New York flu rates fall but vaccine still vital, officials say

Infections for influenza among Long Islanders and residents statewide have hit a lull after a December spike but health officials Thursday warned the flu season is far from over and vaccination still remains the best barrier to getting sick.

For the week ending Dec. 20, Long Island reported 15,629 flu cases. Statewide, there were more than 72,000 reported infections in that period, according to state health data. The latest data, as of Jan. 10, shows that flu cases were down statewide to 21,000. As of Jan. 3, data for Long Island reported 2,581 cases in Suffolk and 2,391 in Nassau.

Mid-January is no time to get complacent, said New York State Health Commissioner James McDonald and Acting New York City Health Commissioner Michelle Morse Thursday during a briefing on the flu season so far.

"Although we're reporting three weeks of declining numbers, it's important to know that I've seen this happen before, where then all of a sudden it escalates again," McDonald said of the flu season, which typically ends in the spring.

New York City reported 8,000 flu cases for the week of Jan. 10.

The flu is unpredictable, Morse said, "and the virus continues to circulate at very high levels across New York City."

State officials have touted this season's flu shot as highly effective, especially for children. In New York City, 32% of children have received flu shots, officials said. 

The data also shows that 25.6% of Nassau County residents have received the flu shot and 21% of Suffolk residents are vaccinated, trailing the state average of 25.4%. 

Overall, as the flu season hits midseason, there have been more than 269,000 cases statewide, compared to more than 550,000 cases all of last year, according to state health data.

There have been more than 53,000 cases of the flu this year on Long Island, compared to more than 113,000 cases during the entire flu season from October to April last year, according to the state health department.

Officials warned that flu season generally runs through April, and while there may be a January decline, there can be peaks later in the year while flu season lingers. The number of flu cases reported also only represents those people who are sick and get tested by physicians.

"We’ve got an awful lot of flu in front of us, so it’s not too late to get that vaccine," McDonald said.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.