Severe cases among high-risk groups continue to contribute to these tallies, even as New Yorkers try to put this surge behind them and resume a sense of normalcy.
Public health experts say, regardless of what happens over the coming months or as the pandemic evolves, vaccination will continue to be an important tool to protect people from the worst outcomes of the virus. But overcoming vaccine hesitancy in all its forms will also continue to be a challenge.
“I don't know many who say we can project whether we're going to have a new variant or not, or whether it’s going to be more virulent,” said Albert Ko, an epidemiologist with the Yale School of Public Health. “But the bottom line is the best way to protect our vulnerable populations is to get them vaccinated, and not only vaccinated, but up-to-date on their vaccinations.”
It remains uncertain what pattern the coronavirus will follow in the future, but many experts predict that it could become seasonal and endemic like the flu. And the flu offers a clue as to the challenges of getting people to take a vaccine on a regular basis, even for something very deadly.
Over the last decade, the number of people hospitalized for the flu in the United States has ranged from 140,000 to 710,000 annually, according to the CDC. During that time, the flu killed between 12,000 and 52,000 people each year. Yet, only half of adults got vaccinated during last year’s flu season, which was an improvement over prior years. Among adults over 65, coverage was much better – 75% — but there were still disparities between racial and ethnic groups.
In New York City, there are some 2,000 deaths each year from seasonal flu and pneumonia, routinely making it the third leading cause of death in the five boroughs, according to the city health department. But last year, just half of city adults got their flu shots – a record number.
Although the number of adults getting flu shots has increased during the pandemic, Ko said he feared that the U.S. had “taken steps backwards” in terms of vaccine hesitancy overall in the last 20 years. But, he said, “COVID has offered a new opportunity to learn.”
The Link LonkFebruary 07, 2022 at 06:00PM
https://gothamist.com/news/why-coney-island-and-brighton-beach-were-hit-so-hard-omicron
Why Coney Island and Brighton Beach were hit so hard by omicron - Gothamist
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