Flu Information

A flu vaccine doesn’t always prevent flu, but it can tame flu’s wildest symptoms if your child gets sick— so they can recover faster and miss fewer days of school.

Avian (Bird) Flu H5N1
The overall risk to the general public from H5N1 bird flu is currently low. Though bird flu is causing outbreaks in U.S. dairy cows, pasteurization kills harmful germs in milk so that it is safe to consume. Always choose pasteurized milk and dairy products to protect your health and the health of your family. Unpasteurized raw milk, and dairy products made from it (e.g., cheese, yogurt, ice cream), can be contaminated with germs that can cause serious illness, hospitalization, or death. 

Each year in the U.S., more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu complications. People most at risk for complications from the flu include pregnant women, adults age 50 and older, children under the age of five and their caregivers, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities and anyone who has certain underlying medical conditions. 

New York State Flu Tracker

Seasonal Influenza Information for Children and Adolescents:

Help prevent the spread of the flu by following the Four "C"s.

  • Contact: Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are sick, keep your distance from others to prevent them from getting sick. Equally important is avoiding contact with your eyes, nose and mouth since the virus spreads by entering the mucous membranes in these areas.
  • Contain: If you are sick, stay home from work, school and public areas. If you had a fever, stay home until 24 hours after your fever subsides to avoid spreading your germs.
  • Cover: To prevent spreading the flu, cough or sneeze into your elbow or cover your nose and mouth with a tissue. Since you may be contagious even before you realize you are sick, it is important to make this habit routine.
  • Clean: Clean your hands in warm soapy water often. Hand washing is one of the most effective, yet overlooked ways of preventing the spread of illness. Also, be sure to clean surfaces you touch frequently, such as doorknobs, water faucets, refrigerator handles and telephones.

Where can I go to get a flu vaccine?

Use the Vaccine Finder Tool to locate flu vaccines in your area. Flu shots are available for a fee from many area pharmacists, medical offices and neighborhood health centers . Residents should check with their health care provider or a local pharmacy chain. 

Also, you can try one of the local neighborhood health centers listed below. Be sure to call ahead to find out if they have vaccine in stock. 

Neighborhood Health Centers
Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center
107 West Fourth St.,
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Phone: (914) 699-7200

Yonkers Community Health Center
30 South Broadway,
Yonkers, NY 10701
Phone: (914) 968-4898

Greenburgh Neighborhood Health Center
295 Knollwood Rd.
Greenburgh, NY 10607
Phone: (914) 989-7600

Hudson River HealthCare
Peekskill Health Center
1037 Main St.
Peekskill, NY 10566
Phone: (914) 734-8800

Yonkers - Park Care
2 Park Ave, Yonkers, NY 10703
Phone: (914)964-7862

Yonkers - Valentine Lane
503 South Broadway
Yonkers, NY 10705
Phone: (914)965-9771

Open Door Family Medical Centers
Mt. Kisco Open Door
30 West Main St.
Mt. Kisco, New York 10549
Phone: (914) 666-3272

Ossining Open Door
165 Main St.
Ossining, NY  10562
Phone: (914) 941-1263

Port Chester Open Door
5 Grace Church St.
Port Chester, NY  10573
Phone: (914) 937-8899

Sleepy Hollow Open Door
80 Beekman Ave.
Sleepy Hollow, NY  10591
Phone: (914) 631-4141

What do I need to know about the flu vaccine?
It’s recommended for everyone six months of age and older, according to the the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

And flu shots are especially recommended for:

  • Pregnant women
  • Children age five and under
  • People age 50 and older
  • People with certain chronic medical conditions
  • People who live in nursing homes and long-term care facilities
  • Health care workers or others who care for those at high risk for flu complications

While the flu shot is a good idea for most people, you should always check with your health care provider first, especially if you have a severe allergy to chicken eggs, have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine or have developed Guillain-Barre syndrome within six weeks of getting a flu vaccine. Anyone with a moderate to severe illness with a fever should wait until they have recovered to get vaccinated.