File photo taken on Oct. 28, 2009 shows a student receiving a free H1N1 flu vaccine at the 157 Public Elementary School in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Xin)
Every year, about 2,000 New Yorkers die of seasonal flu and pneumonia.
NEW YORK, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- With the flu season underway and winter months approaching, the New York City's Department of Health (DOH) has seen a 37 percent increase in the number of people receiving flu vaccines compared to last year.
DOH recently issued the early flu vaccination data from July 1 to Oct. 24 for this year's flu season and saw the rise in the number of adults aged 19 and older who received the vaccine this year.
So far this year, nearly 706,700 adults received the flu shot. During this time last year, 517,676 adults received a flu shot, according to DOH.
File photo taken on Oct. 28, 2009 shows a student preparing to receive a free H1N1 flu vaccine at the 157 Public Elementary School in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Xin)
Every year, about 2,000 New Yorkers die of seasonal flu and pneumonia, which can develop as a complication of the flu, said DOH.
Vaccination is the best way to protect against the flu, especially for adults 50 years and older, pregnant people, children ages 6 months to 5 years old, and people with underlying health conditions, it added.
This year is particularly different as the COVID-19 pandemic has lingered for eights months, and showed no sign of abating. Like other cities and regions in the country, New York has been struggling to fend off the pandemic's impact on social life and economy.
As of Thursday noon, the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reported 33,435 coronavirus deaths so far in New York State, the worst in the country. ■
