Press Releases : NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

City Hosts Third Weekend of H1N1 Vaccination Clinics

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

For the third time this month, the Health Department will conduct H1N1 vaccination clinics in all five boroughs this Saturday and Sunday (November 21 and 22). People in the following groups will be able to receive vaccine at these clinics:

Pregnant women
Anyone 4 through 24 years old
People 25 through 64 with health conditions that make influenza more dangerous. These include asthma, diabetes, chronic heart and lung conditions, kidney failure, or a weakened immune system.
Anyone who lives with or cares for children less than 6 months old
Health care workers who have direct contact with patients and cannot receive vaccine through their employers.

Health Department Announces Launch of NYC FluLine

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

As part of a continued effort to prepare for the peak of influenza season, the city will launch the NYC FluLine on Thursday, November 19, the Health Department announced today. Through this service, 311 operators will provide concerned New Yorkers with information on what to do if they or a family member feels sick with flu-like illness (fever with cough or sore throat). Callers with symptoms of influenza will be connected to registered nurses, who will provide information and advice on whether to seek care. For concerned patients who don’t have or can’t reach a regular health care provider, NYC FluLine is an alternative to standing in line at a hospital emergency department. The call-center nurses will not make diagnoses or prescribe treatments, but they will advise callers about whether to see a doctor or stay home. When necessary, on-call nurses will refer people to clinics, facilitating timely treatment while preventing unnecessary visits to emergency departments. Operators at 311 will not direct emergency calls to NYC FluLine.

Health Department Report Finds Continued Rise in Diabetes

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Diabetes continues to rise in New York City, consigning tens of thousands of New Yorkers to possible disability and early death, and also fueling racial and economic disparities in health. A new report, Diabetes Among New York City Adults, finds that 9.1% of adult New Yorkers carried the diagnosis in 2007 – an increase of 13%, or 68,000 cases, since 2002. The recognized citywide rate now significantly exceeds the national rate (7.5%) and threatens to climb even higher. An estimated 200,000 New Yorkers have undiagnosed diabetes. Some 23% have blood-sugar levels that place them on the borderline, and more than half of adult New Yorkers are overweight or obese – conditions that greatly increase the risk of diabetes.

Health Department Expands Weekend H1N1 Vaccination Clinics To Cover People with Underlying Health Conditions

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

The Health Department announced that it is further expanding its weekend H1N1 vaccination clinics to cover a broader range of New Yorkers. Starting this weekend – November 14th and 15th – vaccine will be available at temporary centers in all five boroughs for anyone 4 to 24 years old, anyone who is pregnant, anyone in close contact with newborns, and people age 25 to 64 with a medical condition that makes influenza more dangerous.

Strong Demand for Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Strains Supplies

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

With H1N1 influenza dominating the headlines, New Yorkers have turned out in record numbers for seasonal flu shots this fall – depleting vaccine supplies and prompting the Health Department to issue new recommendations for vaccination. The agency continues to recommend seasonal vaccine for all children between 6 months and 18 years of age, for all adults 65 and older, and for people with underlying health conditions that increase the risk of complications from influenza. But until vaccine supplies increase, health officials are suspending the recommendation to vaccinate healthy, non-elderly adults.

City Officials Announce First Weekend H1N1 Vaccination Centers for Students

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Today the Health Department announced details of a five-week effort to provide free H1N1 vaccine to middle and high school students in all five boroughs. Through a series of weekend vaccination clinics – held at varying locations in each borough during November and December – the City will ensure that all school-age New Yorkers have a chance to get the H1N1 vaccine. Though intended for middle- and high-school students, the weekend vaccination centers will also serve elementary school students (ages 4 and older) who have not been vaccinated in their schools or at their doctors’ offices. All students 18 and under must present signed parental consent forms, which are available in 10 languages at nyc.gov/flu and at vaccination sites, and anyone under 16 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

City Officials Launch School-Based H1N1 Vaccination Program

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs, New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas A. Farley and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today marked the beginning of a three-phase initiative to vaccinate the city’s school-age population against H1N1 influenza. The first phase starts today at 125 public elementary school buildings with enrollments of less than 400. Phase two starts November 4 in school buildings with enrollments of more than 600, and the third phase begins November 9 in the remaining schools. Vaccinations will continue at participating elementary schools for approximately eight weeks. Non-public schools that choose to participate in the city’s vaccination effort will also receive vaccine during this period. Weekend vaccine sites for middle-school and high-school students will be held in each borough starting in November.

In Preparation for School-Based H1N1 Vaccination Efforts, Parents of Elementary School Students Will Start Receiving Consent Forms This Week

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EDT

This week, New York City’s elementary school students will begin taking home H1N1 information packets that include vaccination consent and screening forms for the City’s upcoming school-based vaccination initiative. By signing and returning the forms – also available in 10 languages at nyc.gov/flu – parents can have their children vaccinated free-of-charge against the H1N1 influenza virus. The packets will be sent home with children over the next two weeks, starting today. All materials are available in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Urdu.

It’s Time to Get Smart: Week-long Initiative Promotes the Proper Use of Antibiotics

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EDT

“If you have a cold, or the flu, antibiotics won’t work for you!” This is one of the main messages the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) want people to take away from its second annual “Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work Week,” from October 5 to 11. Antibiotics become less effective when overused, because harmful bacteria have more opportunities to develop resistance to them. To combat this important public health problem, the Health Department will observe Get Smart Week at community events throughout the city.

First Shipments of H1N1 Vaccine Arrive in New York City

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda Gibbs and Dr. Thomas Farley, New York City Health Commissioner, visited the Montefiore Medical Center as children and health care workers received some of the City’s first doses of H1N1 influenza vaccine. The event marks the beginning of the city-wide H1N1 vaccination program that Mayor Bloomberg announced last month.

Health Department and Department of Education Launch Week-Long Vaccination Effort to Test Vaccine Distribution in Schools across the City

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT

In preparation for this fall’s school-based H1N1 vaccination effort, the Health Department and the Department of Education will hold a week-long vaccination program in six New York City schools next week. From Monday to Friday, trained nurses will administer the seasonal influenza vaccine to the approximately 700 students whose parents have completed consent forms.

Health Department Launches City’s New Influenza Web Portal

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EDT

Up-to-date information on influenza and vaccine locations is now just a click away with the launch of a new Web portal. By visiting www.nyc.gov/flu, New Yorkers can now find all influenza-related information – from surveillance data to information on schools and vaccination sites – in one place.

New Data Show that Child Lead Poisonings Fell by 19% in New York City Last Year

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT

The number of children with lead poisoning dropped by 19% in New York City last year, the Health Department announced today in its annual report to the New York City Council. In 2008, there were1,572 newly identified poisonings among children between 6 months and 6 years of age, marking a 92% decline since 1995, when nearly 20,000 lead poisoning cases were reported.

Is Your Afternoon ‘Pick-Me-Up’ Weighing You Down?

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT

They may taste like coffee, but when it comes to calories, the blended beverages sold at coffee chains are in a class by themselves. The Health Department recently surveyed the drinks purchased at coffee chains in New York City. The results – published this week in the online journal Preventing Chronic Disease – shed new light on a topic that has attracted little attention in nutritional research until now.

Mayor Bloombergand Health Commissioner Farley Unveil New Citywide Health Goals for 2012

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley today unveiled New York City’s ambitious new health policy – Take Care New York 2012 – outlining the City’s plan to improve the health of New Yorkers by targeting 10 leading causes of preventable sickness and death, including lung cancer, heart disease and HIV.