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Influenza Vaccination Week a timely reminder to prepare for flu season, GO Health says

By Press Release

Press Release:

National Influenza Vaccination Week is December 4-8, 2023. This is the time of year to remind everyone that there is still time to get vaccinated against influenza (“the flu”). 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year to reduce the risk of getting the flu and lessening the symptoms if you get sick. The best time to get vaccinated is before flu season has started, but it is never too late to get the flu shot.

Flu usually peaks between December and February and can continue into May.

“It is important for those at higher risk, including young children, pregnant women, adults 65 years and older, and individuals with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma or lung disease, to get the flu vaccine,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “It is also important for people who live with and care for people who are at higher risk and those who care for infants under 6 months old." 

Below are the number of reported flu cases for Genesee and Orleans Counties since 2019 according to the New York State Department of Health. It is important to note that during 2020-2021 there were significantly less confirmed cases of flu partly due to a heightened awareness of practicing precautions like staying home when sick, limiting social gatherings and frequent handwashing during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

New York State Department of Health Confirmed Cases of Influenza:

Genesee County

  • 2019-2020 - 598 
  • 2020-2021 - 7 
  • 2021-2022 - 182
  • 2022-2023 - 743
  • 2023-2024 (as of 11/25/2023) - 9

Orleans County

  • 2019-2020 - 266
  • 2020-2021 - 8
  • 2021-2022 - 100
  • 2022-2023 - 647
  • 2023-2024 (as of 11/25/2023) - 5

In addition to the flu shot, the following practices are recommended to stop the spread  of illnesses:

  1. Stay Home When Sick: If you develop flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, or fatigue, stay home to prevent spreading the virus to others.
  2. Practice Good Hygiene: Wash hands frequently with soap and water, and use hand sanitizer when soap is not available. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  3. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and manage stress to support a strong immune system. 

To find a vaccine site near you visit: https://www.vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/ For the Genesee and Orleans Counties Wastewater Dashboard that tracks RSV, COVID-19, and flu in local sewersheds, visit the GO Health Wastewater Dashboard. 

For more information on Health Department programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call your respective health department at: 

Genesee County: 585-344-2580 ext. 5555

Orleans County: 585-589-3278

Follow GO Health on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at GOHealthNY.

Batavia pediatrician stresses need for kids to get flu shots

By Virginia Kropf

A local pediatrician is expressing his concern regarding the upcoming flu season and some parents’ decision not to have their children vaccinated.

Dr. Khurrum Sanaullah joined Rochester Regional Health in April and is affiliated with United Memorial Medical Center and Orleans Community Health, offering pediatric services at Batavia Pediatrics and Medina Family Medicine.

Last week Dr. Sanaullah gave a Zoom videoconference on his concern about a recent poll which found that one out of three parents do not plan to have their child vaccinated for the flu. Furthermore, the poll revealed that only one out of three parents believe it is more important for their child to get the flu vaccine this year, compared to past years.

The two major contributing reasons revealed in the study indicate parents are keeping their kids away from health care sites during COVID-19; and parents are concerned due to misinformation about side effects and the effectiveness of the flu vaccine.

Dr. Sanaullah states it is even more important this year for children to get a flu shot because of the coronavirus pandemic. He adds, the best time to have the flu shot is now.

He said the flu vaccine does not cause any serious side effects, and it is much better to get sick from the vaccine than from the flu itself. 

“Your symptoms will be much milder,” he said. “The medical profession has never showed that the flu vaccine causes serious side effects.”

The doctor also said symptoms of the flu and COVID-19 are very similar – chills, fever, body aches, cough, headache, vomiting and diarrhea, and if a person developed both, it could be a big problem.

“It’s a very smart idea to get your children vaccinated,” the doctor said. 

He said all children between the ages of 6 months and 21 years should have the flu vaccine. The vaccine can be administered at a local pharmacy, although many pharmacies won’t vaccinate a child under 6.

Dr. Sanaullah said the flu season is typically from September through April and the earlier the flu vaccine is administered, the better. But it is never too late. 

WNY Public Health Alliance urges everyone to get their flu shots

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Western New York Public Health Alliance is urging everyone over the age of 6 months to get a flu vaccine to protect themselves from the effects of influenza. Influenza is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death.

Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently, but millions of people get flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year.

An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu. Vaccination has been shown to have many benefits including reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and even the risk of flu-related death in children.

It is important that people understand how the flu vaccine works. Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are used to make the vaccine.

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season.

Most flu vaccines in the United States protect against four different flu viruses (“quadrivalent”); an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus, and two influenza B viruses. There are also some flu vaccines that protect against three different flu viruses (“trivalent”); an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus, and one influenza B virus. Two of the trivalent vaccines are designed specifically for people 65 and older to create a stronger immune response.

It is also important to understand when to get a flu shot. You should get a flu vaccine before flu viruses begins spreading in your community, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu.

Make plans to get vaccinated early in fall, before flu season begins. CDC recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October. Getting vaccinated later, however, can still be beneficial and vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season, even into January or later.

Children who need two doses of vaccine to be protected should start the vaccination process sooner, because the two doses must be given at least four weeks apart.

Flu vaccines are offered in many doctor’s offices, clinics, health departments, pharmacies and college health centers, as well as by many employers, and even in some schools.

Even if you don’t have a regular doctor or nurse, you can get a flu vaccine somewhere else, like a health department, pharmacy, urgent care clinic, and often your school, college health center, or workplace.

For more information, please contact your local Health Department or go to the Center for Disease Control website.

The Western New York Public Health Alliance (WNYPHA) is a not-for-profit organization comprised of the Health Commissioners/Public Health directors and other community public health leaders from these eight counties of Western New York: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans; and Wyoming.

Their mission is to support collaboration across WNY to further public health initiatives and priorities. As part of this mission, the WNYPHA works to provide health education and information to prevent disease and improve population health.

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