Results tagged “h1n1”

The Health Department announced that this weekend's H1N1 vaccine clinics will be open to pretty much all New Yorkers, because demand for the vaccine has fallen from its peak a few weeks ago. The department sid, "This weekend’s five vaccine centers - one in each borough - will admit any New Yorker who is at least 4 years old, including any healthy adult who would like to be vaccinated." more ›

After a Thanksgiving break, the city's Health Department is resuming its weekend clinics for people in priority groups (info here) to receive free H1N1 vaccines. There's one clinic in each of the five boroughs (PDF). Over 26,000 have been vaccinated so far. more ›

The city Health Department held its third weekend of free swine flu vaccine clinics open to people in priority groups and 6,008 got the vaccine on Saturday while 5,478 more received it on Sunday. One reader commented yesterday, "Just went to the Queens flu clinic, and the lines were about 15 minutes max. Kudos to NYC DOH on a really well-run efficient operation." (The previous weekend, over 15,000 opted for the vaccine.) The next weekend for the clinics is December 5 & 6. more ›

The Health Department is holding weekend clinics for people in the priority groups—more details here—to get H1N1 vaccines. Here's a PDF of the locations and hours in each borough and there are two more weekends of clinics scheduled after the Thanksgiving Day weekend. Last weekend, 15,000 people opted to get the vaccines. more ›

Business owners did their best yesterday to scare off Council members mulling a bill that would require all employers in the city to provide up to nine paid sick days. The owners insist such a law would force small businesses to slash salaries and benefits, lay off employees, and eventually flee the city. "Pile on another expense to us, you’re gonna put people out of business. You’re gonna encourage people to move their business out of New York City. I’m a mile from New Jersey. It’s a hop over the bridge. And it’s very tempting," said Tom Scarangello of Scaran Heating & Air Conditioning. more ›

After opening up its weekend H1N1 vaccination clinics to priority groups beyond public school students, the Health Department gave out 15,606 free vaccines this past Saturday and Sunday (the previous weekend's clinics saw less than 4,000 people receive the vaccines). Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley told the Daily News that in spite of NYC's low infection rate, "We haven't escaped it entirely. Rates are falling in most of the country now, but they're still rising here." more ›

Since turnout for last weekend's swine flu vaccine clinics for public school students was low, the Health Department decided to open up this weekend's clinics to other priority groups—pregnant women; anyone 4 years through 24 years of age; persons 25 through 64 with underlying health conditions that increases risk of severe illness or complications; anyone who lives with or cares for children less than 6 months old. And on the Upper East Side, at P.S. 290, the lines went for three blocks with at least a 90 minute wait. more ›

The Health Department's first weekend of H1N1 vaccine clinics weren't very well attended, prompting officials to open up the clinics—originally just for students—to people in other priority groups on Sunday. This weekend, the Health Department will continue its program offering the free vaccine in the five boroughs to people in these groups: Pregnant women; Anyone 4 years through 24 years of age; Persons 25 through 64 years of age who have underlying health conditions that increases risk of severe illness or complications* ; and anyone who lives with or cares for children less than 6 months old. more ›

Three Queens students were brought to the hospital yesterday after complaining of sickness right after they received the H1N1 vaccine. Within twenty minutes of getting vaccinated, one student of PS 124 in South Ozone Park "complained of a headache" says NY1, and overall 16 students said they felt ill. However, of the three girls brought to the hospital, one wasn't even given the vaccine in the first place! Maybe the dog ate her homework? more ›

Main St. v. Wall St.! Some New Yorkers are up in arms upon finding out that Citigroup and Goldman Sachs have received numerous doses of the much-coveted H1N1 vaccine. The two banks each received a several hundred doses for at-risk employees (pregnant women, etc...), but the city's Health Department has had to explain themselves to citizens who believe companies shouldn't get preferential treatment over people waiting in line for the vaccine. "Wall Street banks have already taken so much from us," union official John VanDeventer wrote on the Service Employees International Union website, "But they should not be allowed to take away our health and well-being." more ›

In stark contrast to many city parent outcries, parents of some pre-kindergarten tykes are upset that their kids won't receive the H1N1 vaccine. Because their programs are not located in public schools but in day care centers, churches, community centers, etc. because the schools are too crowded, over 33,000 children ages 6 months to 4 years — the highest risk age for infection — will not have the option to get the vaccine in school. (Pre-K kids in city schools will.) One parent told the Daily News, "It's unfair. My pediatrician doesn't have the vaccine yet, so I think we should be given the option." Though a News commenter may have put it better: "Look what happens when the government runs (RATIONS) healthcare!!! NO PUBLIC OPTION!!!" more ›

President Obama officially declared swine flu a national emergency. He signed a proclamation which, according to a White House announcement, "enhances the ability of our nation's medical treatment facilities to handle a surge in H1N1 patients by allowing, as needed, the waiver of certain standard federal requirements on a case-by-case basis." more ›

The Department of Education sent public school children home with letters asking parents for consent to give the students the H1N1 vaccine. While the CDC confirmed that 11 children died of swine flu last week, it remains to be seen whether parents will opt for the vaccine. One told WCBS 2, "I've decided not to give my kids the vaccine because it's just too new I just feel it's not a lot of research, so I don't know what the side effects are." more ›

New York City might be immune from the swine flu, but unfortunately that doesn't hold true for the rest of the state. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY have had 21 cases of the virus, and suspect that the culprit may be sharing cups during games like beer pong. So remember kids, stay healthy: play flip cup. more ›

Drama! Even though the city is urging parents to get their children vaccinated against H1N1, a national survey found out that only 34% would give their children the shot, the rest preferring their children become infected with delicious, porcine goodness. "It’s just too new on the market, and we don’t know what side effects it may have on children," one parent told the Daily News. These concerns still come after Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius insisted that the H1N1 vaccine is perfectly safe, and that the "adverse effects are minimal compared to what can happen when you get the flu" (seriously—swine flu seems TERRIBLE). more ›

Throw out those tired old surgical masks, because the swine flu vaccine has come to cure us all! The first batches arrived in the city today as nasal sprays and are being given to children and medical workers at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. About 560 of the 68,000 doses were administered today, and the injectable version is due to arrive in the city next week. more ›

He's been on TV this morning supporting his health plan. But seriously— I think we can all agree that it's in our best interest if the president is allowed to skip to the front of the swine-flu vaccine line. We must protect Obama from the pigs! more ›

Amid concerns that the H1N1/ swine flu vaccine might miss the peak, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told This Week With George Stephanopoulos that the vaccine will be available in the first week of October, two weeks earlier than previously thought. She said, "We are on track to have an ample supply rolling out by mid October, but we may have some early vaccine as early as the first full week in October. And we plan to get the vaccine rolling out the door as fast as it hits the production line. The earlier doses are probably going to be targeted to health care workers and other high priority groups, but the one dose means that people will be able to have a robust response in about 10- days of getting that first shot and that’s incredibly helpful." The other high-priority groups are pregnant women, people between 6 months and 24 years, people between 25-64 years with higher risk medical conditions, and caregivers of children under 6 months. Earlier this week, the Department of Health and Human Services found that one dose of the vaccine seems effective (versus needing to give two doses), which means "vaccine supplies now being made will go twice as far as had been predicted." more ›

Though the Department of Health and Human Services is warning that swine flu vaccines may not take full effect until Thanksgiving, city officials say they don't think the flu will shutter schools. more ›

With city health officials marking their calendars for a possible swine flu resurgence this fall, plans are now being laid to dole out the soon-to-be-ready flu vaccine. The NY Daily News reports today that children, pregnant women, and health care workers are top priority for the vaccine, the supply of which is expected to be "ample." Says Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley: "It's on track. We're told it may be available in mid-October." He explains that the first shots will go to kids, possibly even via "special immunization clinics in schools," since kids tend to be little walking disease vectors, spreading flu among themselves and bringing it back home to their families. Farley also adds that the city will need more than a million doses to avoid vaccine shortages, though his office has since clarified that number "wasn't based on data or calculations" and that "the city has no real idea of how much H1N1 vaccine is coming, or when." more ›

The NYPD has lost its first officer to swine flu after a Brooklyn cop died following a seven-week fight with the virus. 27-year-old Officer Ryan Johnson of Brookhaven on Long Island died yesterday after weeks in a coma following his diagnosis on June 17th. He was a five-year veteran of the force out of the 83rd precinct in Bushwick. There is some debate as to whether a preexisting condition exacerbated the H1N1 virus—health officials said that Johnson had long suffered from asthma, but his mother denied that. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that Johnson "fought valiantly over many weeks, often expressing his desire to return to the job." As of the Health Department's most recent report a month ago, the swine flu death toll in New York City was at 47. more ›

If swine flu makes a comeback this fall, city officials want to be prepared. They've been conducting a postmortem review of the spring's swine flu outbreak as they come up with plans for a possible "second wave," plans which the NY Times reports are focusing on preventing city ERs from being swamped. City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley says the spring outbreak caught hospitals off-guard: "The thought that there would be large numbers of people in emergency rooms hadn’t been well thought through, so that’s one thing we need to address." So, in order to stop everyone with a stuffy nose from heading to the nearest ER, officials are considering a daily "public messaging system" that would give updates on vital swine flu information, not unlike the way winning lottery numbers are announced. Other swine flu countermeasures—like closing schools or even mandating staggered work hours—are also being readied in the event the virus comes back with a vengeance. At this point, Dr. Farley says it's basically a waiting game: "If you look at the history of new strains of influenza...almost all of them have had a second wave. It doesn’t necessarily occur within the next six months; it might occur a couple of years later. But almost all returned." more ›

Swine flu relief might be coming soon in the form of a shot. NY1 says that White House officials are laying plans for distribution of an H1N1 vaccine by as early as October, with priority going to at-risk groups like pregnant women. That, of course, assumes no hitches in vaccine production or testing, which Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius confirms will soon be underway: "We're moving towards the likelihood of a specific vaccine for H1N1...What we need to do is make sure we have a safe vaccine." That likelihood is particularly welcome news following today's Health Department announcement of nine more New York City deaths linked to the H1N1 virus. But, as Newsday reports, the city's new swine flu death toll of 47 could get much worse if the virus mutates in time for the fall flu season, a possibility that Mayor Bloomberg says alarms him: "We're certainly worried about what happens in the fall and we're making sure that we have, to the extent we can, facilities to treat people." The latest H1N1 victims were not identified by the Health Department, but they range in ages from 25 to 65. more ›

Today, the Health Department announced that seven more deaths have been linked to the H1N1 virus, aka swine flu. The total number of swine flu-related deaths is now 23. From the Health Department: "Of the 20 deaths for which background medical information is available, 16 (80%) have occurred in people with established underlying risk factor for developing severe influenza or complications. The newly confirmed deaths have not all occurred during the current reporting period (June 12-16), and most involve people who were hospitalized in late May, at the peak of the outbreak." (Which means the Health Department's belief that swine flu is waning could still hold.) Newsday reports, "A young woman who had just given birth became the first apparent death from swine flu in Nassau County Tuesday... A pregnant woman between age 20 and 30 was admitted to a hospital June 5 with fever and respiratory symptoms and was confirmed to have swine flu. Her baby was delivered by Caesarean section that day and the woman was transferred to the intensive care unit two days later. She died yesterday." The baby is reportedly doing well. more ›

The Health Department says the two swine flu fatalities reported yesterday were people in their 40s. So far, six of the seven fatal NYC swine flu victims had "underlying conditions" that contributed to his/her death; the seventh death is still being investigated. The NY Times reports that the Health Department revealed "some 80 percent of the more than 300 people hospitalized with swine flu since mid-April have one or more underlying conditions that put them at risk. Asthma, which affects 10 percent of New York City children, is by far the most common underlying condition, affecting some 41 percent of those hospitalized." Risk factors include a compromised immune system, heart disease, pregnancy, diabetes, kidney problems, blood disorders, emphysema, liver problems and obesity. Some parents are upset their children are being turned away from hospitals or doctors' offices without swine flu tests, but NYU Department of Medicine's Martin Besser tells the Daily News, "The [city] Health Department is striking a very reasonable balance. We have to husband resources for people who are the most ill." more ›

After two straight losses to the Pirates, anything's possible. An SNY associate producer was sent home and put in isolation with what could be a case of swine flu. Carlos Beltran missed his third straight game and stayed at the hotel with what was called a stomach virus but is now being considered something more serious. Associate producer Dan Barr drove back from Pittsburgh after doctors told him not to fly on a commercial flight. "We've been told it's not a type of illness that's transmitted through the air," assistant general manager John Ricco said. "It's something that's more droplets, shaking hands or sneezing. So we're not too worried." He's right, the Mets shake hands or produce "droplets" of spittle. Rizzo went on to say that the symptoms are not consistent with what Beltran and starting pitcher John Maine have shown. Maine, looking on the bright side said, "I'm going to go out with a winning record." more ›

1010 WINS reports that two more New Yorkers have died from swine flu. That makes a total of seven swine flu fatalities in NYC. No details about the victims' ages or locations, but according to CityRoom, "The department said that six of the seven people who have died — including Mitchell Wiener, the Queens assistant principal, who was the first swine-flu death in the city — had underlying conditions, including obesity, that can interfere with normal breathing. The seventh death is still under investigation. The city will not release the underlying medical conditions, citing medical confidentiality were given." more ›

After yesterday's news that an 11-week-old baby with swine flu died, the city's health department said that while the child did have swine flu, so far it's unclear whether swine flu was the cause of death; the medical examiner's office will perform more tests. And while the Daily News reported the baby's name and residence—Steven Montanez of the Bronx—yesterday, the city declined to provide the name citing privacy laws. The NY Times also reports that the ME's office confirmed that the cause of death for assistant principal Mitch Wiener was swine flu, but "tests on [Wiener] , had listed 'significant and contributing' factors: obesity and hypertensive and arteriosclerotic heart disease." (Hello, underlying conditions?) The number of confirmed swine flu cases in NYC is 538; 229 have been hospitalized. more ›

An eleven-week-old boy in the Bronx has become the fifth swine flu fatality in NYC, according to his family. Steven Montanez's mother, 28-year-old Gissele Montañez, says her baby seemed fine when she left him in the care of her sister Thursday afternoon. But he was found dead about an hour after he fell asleep at 3 p.m. Montanez's sister tells the Daily News, "I went in to check up on him, I turned him around and he was purple. He was a completely healthy baby. The Health Department told us he died because of swine flu." (Officials at the Health Department have not yet officially confirmed that the H1N1 virus caused Steven's death.) His father, Louis Montanez, is devastated, telling the News, "I have nothing to live for anymore. You don't know how painful this is. We're going through such a bad situation right now." more ›

The city is closing six additional schools after a numerous cases of "influenza-like illness" among students. Four of the schools (in a total of two buildings) are in East Harlem while two schools (in one building) are in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood. In the meantime, parents at schools which have yet to close are anxious. At PS 96 in Queens and at PS 180 in Brooklyn, parents protested. A PS 96 mom told the Daily News, "These are 4- and 5-year-olds coming down with 102-degree fevers and infecting their siblings. There is no logical explanation why our school is not closed." And PS 180 is in the same building as a school that did close. However, in spite of the absentee rates, the Health Department says, "High absenteeism by itself is not a reason for closing schools," noting no students at PS 96 and PS 180 went to the nurse with symptoms or had flu-like symptoms. (What is they were already at home!?) The city is now reporting 388 swine flu cases. more ›