Back to school also means back to our clinics for many families who want or are required to have their children immunized against certain illnesses. At The Floating Hospital, Linda You, director of clinical services, said “the highest volume of vaccinations occur in September to December.”
Although that schedule overlaps with children returning for the school year, the same timeframe applies to everyone, because it is also when flu and Covid-19 tend to be active in our area. “In January, demand dies down and although we would rather have children come for their vaccinations in July or August, ahead of when they return to school, it doesn’t seem to work like that,” she said.
The main clinic and the satellites have all routine and required shots for school, such as for measles, rubella, and mumps, chicken pox, polio, pneumonia, hepatitis B, meningitis and diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis or whooping cough. There are also vaccines for HPV, which are not required, but are recommended as protection against cancer in the future.
The hospital works with the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, which provides free shots to children who are uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid eligible or from Indigenous descent. Of the migrant populations we serve, most have titers for essential childhood vaccines like measles and are open to vaccines in general. The newer vaccines “don’t have as much availability in their home country, and certain vaccines are a requirement for school. They really want their children to go to school.” She said “there is a high uptake in this group. Generally, nobody is refusing.”
Last year, the hospital administered almost 10,000 shots to adults and children across all of its locations, and those numbers are showing an increase so far this year. In addition to the shots given in childhood, we have immunizations for the annual flu, Covid-19 and RSV.
Linda, who became clinical services director in November, said she is still learning the levels of demand. “For us it’s about volume and making sure we attack the thing that a lot of people are concerned about.” The newest RSV vaccine, for older adults, was not popular in its first season. “We hope that will change in the upcoming season.”
The annual flu shots remain the most typical for adults. They are recommended for everyone aged six months and older. Flu begins to spread in early fall so having the vaccine by late October is recommended, and the hospital has flu shots available now for anyone who wants them. Those who inoculate themselves help protect others by contributing to herd immunity and minimizing the flu’s ability to jump from one patient to another. Other ways of defending against infection include minimizing exposure to people who have the flu, covering the nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing, washing hands with soap and water, not touching the face and frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch areas like door knobs and light switches.
Covid-19 vaccines are still recommended in general, but particularly for patients older than 60 and those prone to illness or with chronic diseases. These groups are at a higher risk for hospitalization for Covid as well as the flu. Demand for Covid vaccines is definitely down among “the average population who are not immunocompromised. They’re not thinking about vaccines as in previous years,” Linda said. There was very low uptake for Covid with only around 10 shots administered to adults last year.
While of no imminent widespread danger in the United States, our providers are following developments in the bird flu cases that have been reported this year as well as Mpox or monkeypox, which is spreading around central Africa. “At this time, The Floating Hospital is not offering the Mpox vaccine,” she said.
For more information about receiving flu vaccines or any others, call 718-784-2240 to be connected to our clinic.
