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New York Flu Outbreak Declared Public Health Emergency By Cuomo

Cuomo Declares Public Health Emergency To Combat Flu
Reuters
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Mary Ann Werner from New York is given a flu shot by Medical Assistant Klarisa Feliciano at the medical offices of Yaffe Ruden & Associates in New York on January 10, 2013. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that this year's flu season is expected to be one of the worst the country has seen in 10 years. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

Jan 12 (Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a public health emergency on Saturday, giving pharmacists permission to administer flu vaccinations to more people as officials seek to stem the worst flu outbreak in that state in several years.

Cuomo's order came a day after federal health officials said that fast-spreading influenza had officially reached epidemic proportions in the United States, following an early start.

Nine of the 10 U.S. regions had "elevated" flu activity last week, and 20 children across the country have died, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.

In New York, the governor's office said 19,128 cases of influenza have been reported this season, compared with 4,404 positive laboratory tests reported for the entire 2011-2012 season.

"We are experiencing the worst flu season since at least 2009, and influenza activity in New York state is widespread, with cases reported in all 57 counties and all five boroughs of New York City," Cuomo said on Saturday.

As of Jan. 5, the state health department had reports of 2,884 patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza, compared with 1,169 total hospitalizations in 2011.

Cuomo's executive order temporarily allows pharmacists to give flu shots to patients between ages 6 months to 18 years old. Typically, the state limits pharmacists to administering vaccinations only to people 18 and older.

The governor said he instructed state officials "to marshal all needed resources to address this public health emergency and remove all barriers to ensure that all New Yorkers - children and adults alike - have access to critically needed flu vaccines."

Cuomo urged residents who had not gotten a flu shot to do so, noting that influenza cases continued to rise in New York.

In Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino, facing 10 times more flu cases than last year, declared a public health emergency on Wednesday.

The severity of the flu season has forced hospitals in some states to turn away people arriving at the emergency rooms, tighten restrictions on visitors and open extra facilities to accommodate more patients.

Tens of thousands of Americans die every year from flu, even in non-epidemic years. The threshold for an epidemic is that it results in more than 7.2 percent of deaths, but so far there is no definitive count of the total caused by flu this year. (Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; editing by Gunna Dickson)

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Before You Go

Flu Myths
Myth: The Flu Shot Can Give You The Flu(01 of07)
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Fact: This myth just will not die. So let's clear this up: You cannot get the flu from your flu shot.Why? That vaccine is made from a dead or inactive virus that can no longer spread its fever-spiking properties. In rare cases, a person may experience a reaction to the shot that includes a low-grade fever, but these reactions are not The Flu, Everyday Health reported. Note: Even though the flu shot cannot cause the flu, there are a number of other reasons not to get the vaccine, including for some people with an allergy to eggs or a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. (credit:Shutterstock)
Myth: If You've Already Had Your Shot, You Are Guaranteed To Be Flu-Free(02 of07)
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Fact: Unfortunately, even after slapping a bandage on that injection site, you may only be about 60 percent protected, according to the CDC. That means, yes, you can still get the flu after your shot. Some people may be exposed to the flu in the two weeks it takes for the vaccine to take effect, reports NPR. Others might be exposed to a strain not covered in the vaccine, which is made each year based on the viruses experts predict will be the most common, according to Flu.gov. (This year's batch seems to have been matched well to what is actually going around, NPR reports.) (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5be31df4e4b02df4d204f433" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="11" data-vars-position-in-unit="11">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/44321356@N03/4877473380" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Vix Walker" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5be31df4e4b02df4d204f433" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/44321356@N03/4877473380" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="12" data-vars-position-in-unit="12">Vix Walker</a>)
Myth: Antibiotics Can Fight The Flu(03 of07)
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Fact: Plain and simply, antibiotics fight bacteria, not viruses. The flu -- and colds, for that matter -- are caused by viruses. In fact, antibiotics kill off the "good" bacteria that help to fight off infections, so that viral flu may only get worse. (credit:Shutterstock)
Myth: The Stomach Flu Is A Type Of Influenza(04 of07)
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Fact: Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, while often dubbed the "stomach flu," are not typically symptoms of seasonal influenza, which, first and foremost, is a respiratory disease, according to Flu.gov. The flu can sometimes cause these issues, but they won't usually be the main symptoms -- and are more common signs of seasonal flu in children than adults. (credit:Shutterstock)
Myth: If You're Young And Healthy, You Don't Need The Shot(05 of07)
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Fact: Younger, healthy adults aren't among the people the CDC urges most strongly to get vaccinated, like pregnant women, people over 65 and those with certain chronic medical conditions.The young and healthy will more often than not recover just fine from the flu, with or without the shot. But protecting yourself even if you don't think you need protecting can actually be an act of good. The more people are vaccinated, the fewer cases of flu we all pass around, which in turn offers greater protection to those at-risk groups. (credit:Shutterstock)
Myth: You Can Get The Flu From Being In The Cold Without A Coat (Or With Wet Hair)(06 of07)
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Fact: Mom or Grandma probably told you this one at some point, and while you might not feel so cozy if you head out the door straight from the shower, doing so doesn't exactly condemn you to bed. The only way to catch the flu is to come into contact with the virus that causes it. That might happen while you are outside in the cold, and flu season does certainly happen during cold weather, but it's not because you're cold that you catch the bug. (credit:Alamy)
Myth: There's No Treatment For The Flu(07 of07)
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Fact: It's not antibiotics that cure-seekers should be looking for. While the two antiviral drugs available to fight the flu aren't a quick fix, they canreduce the length of your bout of the flu and make you less contagious to others, according to WebMD. This year's earlier-than-usual flu season has already led to shortages of one of the drugs, Tamiflu, in the children's liquid formulation, according to the medication's manufacturers.However, a number of experts in countries around the world have questioned Tamiflu's efficacy in fighting the flu, and some have even suggested a boycott until further data is published. (credit:Shutterstock)
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