Flu blues in NYC: Influenza cases spike across five boroughs in first days of 2026

Just as 2026 arrived, so has peak flu season in New York.

Hospitalizations for respiratory illness during the week ending on Dec. 27, 2025, increased slightly to 14.66% from 14.64% the previous week, according to the latest NYC health data. The data is overwhelmingly composed of flu cases, but COVID-19 and RSV cases are also represented.

The good news is that emergency room visits for flu-related symptoms decreased in the Big Apple during that period, from nearly 9% to just under 8%, city health department officials reported this week.

Symptoms of the flu include fever, body aches, chills and cough. The condition can often be mistaken for a sinus infection or other respiratory illnesses.

The good news is that emergency room visits for flu-related symptoms decreased in the Big Apple during that period, from nearly 9% to just under 8%, city health department officials reported this week. Photo via Getty Images

NYC’s acting Health Commissioner Michelle Morse, MD, urged New Yorkers to get vaccinated for the flu and stay home if they feel symptoms coming on.

“We urge every New Yorker and their family to stay protected this season and get their updated vaccines,” Morse said in a statement. “Additionally, if you or a loved one are feeling any flu-like symptoms, we urge you get tested, stay home, wear a mask, and avoid crowded spaces if you are unable to stay home.”

Other precautions to take include washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, and cleaning touched surfaces, per the health department.

Each year, about 1,500 to 2,000 New Yorkers die from flu and pneumonia and over 900 died from COVID-19 in 2024, according to the city’s statistics.

Meanwhile, pharmacies across the city have been selling out of over-the-counter cold and flu relief.

Mario Soliman, co-owner and pharmacist at Vine RX drug store in Staten Island, said the store is selling “plenty” of over-the-counter cold and flu relief. Since mid-August, he and his colleagues have been out in full force administering flu shots to New Yorkers at local clinics, churches and schools.

“We finished all our supplies by mid-November,” Soliman said.

The pharmacist also recommended taking Vitamins C and D, and zinc, a combination that is found naturally in oranges, he said.

Who should get the flu shot?

The city’s health department recommends New Yorkers ages 6 months and older get this season’s flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Adults 75 and older, and those ages 50 to 74 with certain chronic conditions or other risk factors, should also get an RSV vaccine, the department said.

Despite flu season being at its peak, it is not too late to get the flu shot. It is a seasonal virus and most prevalent during the fall and winter months.

“If the weather is cold, the flu is out there,” Soliman said, adding that the season generally runs through April in NYC. “The flu does not like the heat. It only likes the cold.”

The city’s NYC Health Map provides a list of locations where New Yorkers can receive a flu shot, as well as other vaccines.