COVID-19 vaccinations plummet on Long Island and statewide, New York Health Department says

The rate of people on Long Island and statewide getting vaccinated against COVID-19 has plummeted, with nearly 30% fewer inoculations compared to midfall last year, according to the state Health Department.

For New Yorkers aged 65 and older "who face the highest risk of severe illness and death from COVID," the rate plunged statewide by nearly 25% during the same period a year ago, the health department said.

For every Long Islander who has received a COVID-19 shot so far this year, nearly four got their annual flu shot. Nassau and Suffolk residents trail the statewide averages for both COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, according to the health department data.

In a statement, state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald urged New Yorkers to get a COVID-19 vaccine, adding that in 2024, COVID-19 "had a more significant impact" than the flu across the state. He added that more than 50,000 New Yorkers were hospitalized because of the virus in 2024 overall, more than twice as many hospitalizations for influenza. And the virus killed far more people across the state than influenza.

"Last year 2,775 New Yorkers died related to COVID, and 766 died related to flu," McDonald said. "In other words, for every one person who died related to flu, almost four died related to COVID. ... Vaccination remains the best protection against serious illness and death from COVID."

Across the state, except for New York City, more than 611,000 people have received the COVID-19 vaccine so far this year, compared to more than 1.9 million who have gotten a flu shot, according to state Health Department data released Wednesday.

Health experts told Newsday that limited data regarding the COVID-19 vaccine compared to decades of research on influenza immunization, along with built-up immunity against the coronavirus and vaccine skepticism, could all explain New Yorkers’ apparent preference for the flu jab.

Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, told Newsday: "We feel very strongly about recommending the flu vaccine to everyone, and sort of cautiously strongly about recommending COVID vaccines. We do get a lot of pushback from COVID vaccines because parents have heard too much misinformation."

In Nassau County, 3.9% of residents have opted for a COVID-19 vaccine this year, compared to 16.7% who took a flu shot, according to state data. Those figures are 3.8% and 13.9% in Suffolk County. The statewide average, excluding New York City, where adult COVID-19 vaccinations are not reported to the state Health Department, is 5.4% compared to 16.7% for the flu vaccine.

Anyone 65 years and older, or people between 12 and 65 with "a significant medical comorbidity," should get vaccinated against the virus, said Dr. Bruce Farber, chief public health and epidemiology officer at Northwell Health. He also recommended pregnant women and babies older than 6 months get a COVID-19 vaccine. For anyone outside of these cohorts, he understands their relaxed sense of urgency, as "COVID is mild now" compared to during the pandemic, he said.

"A healthy 30-year-old, I don’t push the COVID vaccine on anymore," Farber said. "Not that I would discourage them if they wanted it, but I certainly wouldn't make that a priority."

Before recommending a patient get a COVID-19 shot, Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair of the department of medicine and chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, said he considers the individual’s age and overall health, but also the last time they were infected with COVID-19, either naturally or through a previous vaccine against the virus. He said there is "no really good data to support vaccinating lower risk people every year" for the virus.

"We’re probably appropriately vaccinating less people than in previous years," Glatt said.

"The benefits of the COVID vaccination and having had COVID don’t go away," Glatt added. "Additional vaccinations have less benefit. Whereas with the flu, even though prior vaccinations may help you, there are new strains every year that your prior immunity may not really give you that much benefit."