TL;DR
Get health and wellness essentials delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
New York recorded 10,842 lab-confirmed flu cases through the week ending Oct. 24, compared with 2,657 through the same point in 2025. State Health Commissioner James McDonald called the season early and urged residents to get vaccinated; the state says about 18% of eligible New Yorkers have received a flu shot so far.
New York recorded 10,842 lab-confirmed flu cases through the week ending Oct. 24, about four times the 2,657 cases reported through the same point in 2025, according to the state’s Seasonal Respiratory Virus Dashboard. State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said the season is starting early and urged residents to get vaccinated as infections rise.
The latest weekly count was also sharply higher than the comparable week last year: New York reported 4,172 cases for the week ending Oct. 24, compared with 910 for the week ending Oct. 25, 2025. Those weekly totals and the year-to-date figures are reported separately in the state dashboard; the cumulative comparison shows the scale of the increase so far, but does not establish how the full season will unfold.
More than 4,000 cases were among children under 17, state data showed. On Long Island, Nassau County had recorded 1,034 lab-confirmed cases and Suffolk County 735. The report did not give county-level comparisons with the same date last year.
McDonald, a pediatrician, said about 18% of eligible New Yorkers had received a flu shot this season at the time of the report. The rate was about 19% in Nassau County and 16% in Suffolk County. He said fewer than half of the state’s adults received a flu vaccine last year, while noting that he had seen signs of vaccination increasing in recent days.
Early Cases and Low Vaccine Uptake
The rise matters because flu is already spreading while vaccination coverage remains limited, according to the state figures cited in the report. An early increase gives residents and health services less time to prepare before seasonal gatherings and the winter months, although the available counts do not predict the eventual severity or duration of the season.
McDonald said it takes about two weeks for a flu vaccine to take effect and urged people to get vaccinated ahead of Thanksgiving gatherings. The state’s recommendation is a prompt for residents to discuss vaccination with a health professional; the case totals alone do not show how well the current vaccine matches circulating strains or what an individual’s risk will be.
The commissioner also cited last season’s burden: he said more than 27,000 New Yorkers were hospitalized and 600 died because of flu, including 15 children. Those figures underline why officials are emphasizing prevention, but they refer to the prior season and should not be read as a forecast for this one.
Products Worth Considering
Therabody Theragun Relief Massage Gun, 3-Speed, Black
Therabody ThermBack LED 4-in-1 Heated Lower Back Relief Wrap
Oral-B iO Series 3 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush for Adults, Black, 3 Modes, 2 Brush Heads and Travel Case
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How This Season Compares
The comparison is between cumulative reported cases through roughly the same point in two seasons: 10,842 through the week ending Oct. 24 this year and 2,657 through the corresponding point in 2025. The weekly figures were 4,172 and 910, respectively, for the weeks ending Oct. 24 and Oct. 25. These are lab-confirmed case counts from the state dashboard, not estimates of every infection in New York.
Flu activity varies over the course of a season, and an early rise does not by itself establish how many people will become ill or whether this season will be more severe overall. The available report gives a snapshot of cases and vaccine uptake, rather than a final seasonal tally.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older. McDonald said misinformation about vaccines is a concern and described the state’s role as providing science-based information and answering questions. The report also describes social media discussions about vaccination, but does not quantify their influence on vaccination rates.
What the Early Counts Cannot Show
The figures establish that reported lab-confirmed cases are higher than at the comparable point last year, but they do not show how the season will finish. It is not yet clear from the report whether cases will continue rising at the same pace, when activity may peak, or how the season’s overall severity will compare with last year.
The report does not provide a detailed breakdown of testing levels, the strains currently circulating, vaccine effectiveness this season, or the number of cases that were not confirmed by laboratory testing. It also does not establish that low vaccination coverage caused the increase. Those questions require additional data and should not be inferred from the case totals alone.
Vaccination and Ongoing Surveillance
State health officials are urging residents to get a flu shot, with McDonald saying vaccination takes about two weeks to take effect and advising people to act before Thanksgiving gatherings. The CDC recommendation cited in the report covers people aged 6 months and older; people with questions about whether vaccination is appropriate for them should consult a qualified health professional.
Further weekly updates from the state’s Seasonal Respiratory Virus Dashboard should show whether confirmed cases keep rising and how activity changes across New York. The next useful comparisons will include updated statewide and county counts, vaccination coverage, and information on hospitalizations as the season progresses.
Key Questions
How many flu cases has New York reported?
The state dashboard listed 10,842 lab-confirmed cases through the week ending Oct. 24. The figure is a reported count, not an estimate of all infections.
How does that compare with last year?
Through the comparable point in 2025, New York had recorded 2,657 cases. The current total is about four times that figure, according to the state data cited in the report.
How many cases were reported on Long Island?
Nassau County had recorded 1,034 lab-confirmed cases and Suffolk County 735 so far this year. The report did not give comparable county totals for the same date last year.
How many New Yorkers have received a flu shot?
About 18% of eligible New Yorkers had received a flu vaccine this season at the time of the report. The reported rates were about 19% in Nassau County and 16% in Suffolk County.
Does the early increase mean this will be a worse flu season?
Not by itself. The reported figures show more confirmed cases than at the same point last year, but they do not establish how the season will end or how severe it will be overall.
Source: newsday.com
