Health Alert: National Influenza Vaccination Week; Flu Prevalent in NY
Published on December 04, 2025
Tompkins County Whole Health (TCWH) is reminding the community of the importance of influenza (flu) vaccination during National Influenza Vaccination Week. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. The New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) has declared flu to already be prevalent statewide. With cases of the flu being reported across New York State (NYS) and Tompkins County, now is the time to be vaccinated if you have not already done so.
Vaccination is the best protection against the flu. It is proven to cut down on hospitalizations and death from the flu. Vaccination can prevent you from getting sick, which can prevent you from spreading the flu to others.
In the 2023-2024 flu season (the last flu season there is final data for), over 40 million Americans became sick with the flu, resulting in over 470,000 hospitalizations and over 28,000 people died. Of those deceased, 280 were children, and approximately 89% of the children who died were not vaccinated. Already in NYS, for this 2025-2026 flu season, over 17,000 cases have already been reported, with 945 hospitalizations to date.
TCWH’s Medical Director Dr. Klepack stated, “Influenza typically increases rapidly beginning in December and continuing into January. It continues to be a problem through February and even can persist through April. To be protected do not delay – get vaccinated now. It takes about 2 weeks after being vaccinated to start having protection. I urge you to take the flu seriously and get vaccinated before the holidays.”
Influenza (flu) viruses are highly contagious, spread mainly by tiny droplets from coughing, sneezing, or talking. Flu symptoms usually begin suddenly. People who are sick with flu often feel some or all of the following symptoms:
- Fever and/or feeling feverish or having chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
Sinus and ear infections are examples of moderate complications from flu, while pneumonia is a serious flu complication that can result from either flu virus infection alone or from co-infection of flu virus and bacteria. Other possible serious complications triggered by flu can include inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), brain (encephalitis) or muscle tissues (myositis, rhabdomyolysis), and multi-organ failure (for example, respiratory and kidney failure). Flu virus infection of the respiratory tract can trigger an extreme inflammatory response in the body and can lead to sepsis, the body’s life-threatening response to infection.
Flu also can make chronic medical problems worse. For example, people with asthma may experience asthma attacks while they have flu, and people with chronic heart disease may experience a worsening of this condition triggered by flu. Should you become infected with the flu, antiviral treatments can be used to treat flu illness; those should be started as early as possible and are especially important for those at higher risk of severe illness.
TCWH’s Medical Director Dr. William Klepack stated, “Vaccination is the best protection against the flu. Children under 5 years, persons 65 years and older, people with certain chronic health conditions, and pregnant women and their babies are most at risk from severe complications from the flu and should definitely get vaccinated. But we should all get vaccinated so that we don’t lose time from work, spread the virus to others, or suffer from the miserable symptoms of influenza. Especially if you have a highly vulnerable family member, co-worker, or friend, you should get vaccinated to help protect them.”
It is recommended that everyone ages 6 months and older receives a flu vaccine every year. Flu vaccines are available at many locations throughout our community, including healthcare provider offices, pharmacies, and clinics. Vaccination in previous years is not sufficient since the flu virus changes each year. Getting this year’s vaccine for this year’s virus is best. For people aged 65 or over, the “high dose” flu vaccine has been shown to be most effective. If the “high dose” vaccine is not available, people in this age group should get a standard dose flu vaccine instead, so as not to delay their vaccination.
Just as the flu vaccine keeps you from serious illness, so does the COVID-19 vaccine. Everyone ages 6 months and older can now also receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines can be taken at the same time as a flu shot, so double up your protection this fall. The number of deaths in the United States from COVID-19 in 2024 was 47,522; year-to-date for 2025, 15,940 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19. TCWH recommends that you consider getting both the flu and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.
To get one or both vaccines, check with your local pharmacy or talk to your healthcare provider. The local volunteer-run Vaccination Conversations with Scientists (VaCS) continues to update their website with local vaccine availability. Dial 2-1-1 (1-877-211-8667) for assistance with finding an appointment, setting up primary healthcare or health insurance.
Tompkins County Whole Health offers low or no-cost immunization clinics, including flu and COVID-19 vaccines, every Friday through the New York State funded Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Vaccines for Adult (VFA) programs. Clinics are open from 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm by appointment only.
Children may be eligible for participation in our Friday clinics if they:
- Do not have insurance, or
- Are currently enrolled in Medicaid, or
- Have Child Health Plus, or
- Are underinsured: their insurance does not cover the vaccine, or
- Are Native American or Alaska Native
Adults ages 19 and older who are under-insured (insurance does not cover the vaccine) or do not have insurance may be eligible to participate in our clinics as well. Call our office at 607-274-6604 to learn more or to schedule an appointment.
Learn more about the influenza online at: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/health/flu
Tompkins County Whole Health: envisioning a future where every person in Tompkins County can achieve wellness. Find us online at: https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/health and follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X. Sign up to receive Whole Health updates or other county announcements via email or text.
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