ECDOH urges flu vaccine for everyone ages 6 months and older for flu season

The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is reminding all residents ages 6 months and older that it is time to get a flu vaccine.

"Flu vaccine formulas are updated each year to match circulating virus strains," said Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. "Influenza can keep you feeling miserable and out of work or school for as much as 10 days or more. Taking a few minutes to get a flu shot, available from most pharmacies and many doctors' offices, will reduce your respiratory illness risk and increase the chance that you and your household will stay healthy this winter."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, early-season influenza activity is currently higher than typically observed at this time of year. Now is the time to get your influenza vaccine, especially if you are planning holiday travel.

The New York State Department of Health declared flu prevalent as of October 26. This is about 5 weeks earlier than when this same declaration was made in 2025 (December 2). Visitors to healthcare and residential care facilities will notice that some facility staff are wearing masks when near patients or residents; this is a protective measure to reduce the risk that unvaccinated staff transmit respiratory illness at work.

Dr. Burstein continued, "A solid proportion of our community ends up getting flu vaccines each year, and every additional vaccinated person gives an additional layer of protection for the people around them. Our message right now is, why wait? Flu vaccine generally makes your symptoms, if infected, milder. Stay healthy, and reduce the risk of making people around you sick, especially older adults, infants and young children, and pregnant people. Washing hands with soap and water regularly, and staying home from school and work when ill, are two other strategies to prevent flu transmission."

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines are widely available at:

• Pharmacies

• Primary care providers

• Community health clinics

Most insurance plans cover flu shots at no cost. Uninsured individuals may qualify for flu, COVID-19 and other vaccines at no cost through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program or Vaccines for Adults (VFA) program. ECDOH offers VFC and VFA through its Immunization Clinic at 608 William Street in Buffalo. Call (716) 858-7687 for an appointment; no walk-ins.

Seasonal influenza remains a serious, and preventable, health threat, particularly for:

• Adults 65 and older, who are more likely to experience severe illness and hospitalization.

• Pregnant people, whose immune and respiratory changes increase the risk of complications such as premature labor.

• Infants under 6 months, who are too young to be vaccinated and rely on maternal antibodies for protection; children younger than 2 years old

• People who are pregnant or who could become pregnant, and up to 2 weeks after the end of pregnancy

• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities

• People with chronic medical conditions - lung, heart, endocrine, blood, kidney, liver, neurological, and metabolic including obesity (BMI of 40+)

• People with a weakened immune system due to disease (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or some cancers such as leukemia) or medications (such as those receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer, or persons with chronic conditions requiring chronic corticosteroids or other drugs that suppress the immune system)

• People who have had a stroke

The New York State Department of Health maintains robust and regularly updated state- and county-level data dashboard for laboratory-confirmed respiratory illness cases, respiratory illness hospitalizations and flu and COVID-19 vaccination rates.

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Erie County Department of Health: Influenza

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