NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) — New York State is seeing the highest number of influenza cases ever recorded in a single week, the health department said on Friday.
Data from the New York State Department of Health shows a total of 71,123 positive flu cases reported for the week ending December 20, an increase of 38% from the prior week. That’s the most recorded in a single week since the department started tracking cases in 2004, the health department said in a statement.
“While influenza activity is elevated, there are simple steps New Yorkers can take to protect themselves and those around them, including getting vaccinated, staying home when sick and practicing everyday preventive measures,” State Health Commissioner James McDonald said in the statement.
Flu activity has been picking up across the US, driven in part by the emergence of a new, fast-spreading variant that now accounts for the majority of new cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new variant — a mutation of the common H3N2 strain — is dominant in several countries, leading to concerns about a possible mismatch with the latest flu vaccine.
The New York health department did not specify whether its uptick in cases was linked to the new variant, called subclade K. But while the state’s increase has been driven in part by more and broader testing across the state, it’s not just the infections that are on the rise. The number of people hospitalized climbed 63% to 3,666 from a week earlier, the health department said.
Data shows that just 24% of New Yorkers have gotten a flu vaccine for the 2025-2026 season.