Highest flu rate in the US: New York City enters flu season

An early and sharp rise in flu cases has been reported in New York City and the surrounding area. Cases have increased significantly in just the past month, raising concerns among doctors and city officials, according to NYTimes.

As of December 6, New York City and surrounding areas, including Long Island and northern New Jersey, had some of the highest rates of influenza-like illness in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Acting New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse urged residents to get flu shots and wear masks if they experience symptoms. She said flu cases in the city are "rising rapidly."

A Brooklyn private school has closed due to a flu outbreak.

Last week, Poly Prep Country Day School, a private school in Brooklyn, closed for two days. At least 200 students were absent or sent home with flu-like symptoms.

This was reported by the school's senior director of engagement and communications, Jennifer Slomack.

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The school's Dyker Heights campus serves nearly 900 middle and high school students.

It was closed on December 10th and 11th. A third of the students fell ill at the beginning of the week.

"The sheer number of cases in such a short period of time influenced our decision," Slomak explained.

During the brief closure, the school conducted "intensive disinfection" of the campus and reopened on December 12.

The new strain may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine.

The dominant flu virus strain this season, known as H3N2, has developed significant mutations. These mutations can help it evade the body's immune defenses. This means the flu vaccine will likely be less effective this year than in previous seasons.

However, early data from the UK suggests that the vaccine does help prevent hospitalisations.

In the UK, the flu season started early and progressed rapidly. Some media outlets have dubbed the current variant a "superflu." However, experts in New York City note that it is too early to predict whether this season will be particularly severe.

"We can't yet say whether it's more virulent. We just don't know yet," said Dr. Peter Palese, an influenza expert at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.

This season is progressing faster than last year.

The early start of the current flu season follows an unusually high incidence rate last year. The 2024-2025 season has been one of the most severe in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified it as a "high severity" season for the first time since 2017-2018.

Last year, New York City only reached the 10,000 lab-confirmed flu case mark by the end of December. This year, that threshold was surpassed by the end of November.

"In 2025, everything started earlier and is moving faster, the trajectory is much sharper than usual," noted Dr. Bruce Farber, director of public health and epidemiology at Northwell Health, the state's largest hospital system.

A sharp increase in emergency department visits

Emergency departments across New York City have been reporting a significant increase in flu cases since the third week of November. The proportion of patients in emergency departments diagnosed with influenza more than doubled in one week, from 0,6% to 1,6%. A week later, the figure doubled again, reaching 3,4%.

New York City and the surrounding region experienced some of the highest levels of flu activity in the United States in the first days of December. Similar rates were recorded in Denver and New Orleans. Only Lafayette, Louisiana, located approximately 240 miles west of New Orleans, saw higher rates.

Across New York State, more than 3000 flu-related hospitalizations have been recorded this season. This is just under 10% of the total hospitalizations for all of last season.

Vaccination rates remain low

About 22% of New Yorkers outside the city have received a flu shot this season, according to state data.

In New York City itself, just over a quarter of children aged 6 months and older have been vaccinated. The city's Department of Health reported that the number of flu shots given to children has decreased by 6,5% compared to the same period last year. There is currently no data on vaccination rates among adults.