There have been a lot of questions lately about vaccinations: which ones to get, and whether some are safe or even necessary. Hearings held by the vaccine advisory panel for the CDC during the week of Sept. 15 further added to the confusion. As White Plains Hospital’s chief quality officer, I would like to provide some important advice.
Influenza (Flu)
The need to receive a flu vaccination each fall is something that is well-publicized by the healthcare industry – yet flu vaccination rates remain low and have been dropping since the height of the pandemic. In higher-risk groups like children, flu vaccinations were down from 59% in 2019-20 to 46% in 2024-25, while adults aged 65 and older saw a 9% decrease to a 43% vaccination rate over the same period.
We recommend that everyone aged 6 months and older receive a flu vaccine each year. According to CDC data, the 2024-25 flu season showed unusually high activity levels, with at least 37 million illnesses, 480,000 hospitalizations, and 21,000 deaths recorded – including 266 pediatric deaths, the highest in any non-pandemic flu season since the agency began reporting it in 2004. The CDC said 90% of those pediatric deaths happened to children who were not fully vaccinated against the flu.
The potentially good news is that the CDC is predicting the severity of the 2025-26 flu season to be moderate, compared with the high severity tag it gave to the previous flu season. That confidence depends in large part to people receiving a vaccination.
COVID-19
During its most recent hearings, the vaccine advisory panel for the CDC elected to not recommend COVID vaccinations for anyone, but said that people could decide for themselves after consulting with a physician, nurse or pharmacist.
The number of COVID cases has dropped considerably since their peak – due largely to the vaccines that were made available at that time – yet the state and the nation still record positive tests each day – numbers that are far from the virus’ crest, but still prove that COVID remains a threat.
We follow the CDC’s current recommendation that everyone aged 18 and older should get the latest COVID vaccine, while parents of children between 6 months and 17 years should consult their healthcare provider. Such activity can help protect each individual from potentially facing a serious illness, hospitalization, and even death.
MMRV, Polio and Hepatitis B
The vaccine advisory panel voted to recommend that children up to age 3 receive an MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) and varicella (chickenpox) vaccination separately – an option that already exists for most parents – rather than a combination MMRV shot.
In New York State, the MMR vaccine is recommended for children in two doses: at 12-15 months and at 4-6 years old. The State requires both a completed MMR and hepatitis B vaccine before a newborn can leave the hospital.
Although newborns are unlikely to contract HepB – normally passed on through sexual contact or sharing needles or syringes with a person who has the disease – they may still be at risk if the mother has the virus. The State’s vaccination requirement is therefore an example of “better safe than sorry”: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies infected with hepatitis B have a 90% chance of developing a chronic case of the disease, which can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure.
The Takeaways
In short, White Plains Hospital endorses following New York State Department of Health guidelines. Please note that most of these vaccines are recommended, not mandated, by the State, so the choice is largely yours. However, I believe that childhood vaccinations and boosters for those who have waning immunity have saved millions of lives. Vaccines provide protection not only for the individual, but also for the community at large.
If you are still in doubt, I encourage you to find a trusted source like your personal physician to have an in-depth conversation about any concerns regarding vaccinations and their potential side effects. Decide what's best for you and your community. I think that we should all come at this from the same angle, which is trying to keep ourselves, our families and our community safe.
Dr. Rafael E. Torres is the Chief Quality Officer at White Plains Hospital. To find the right physician for you, call 914-849-MyMD.