Orleans also reporting a death due to Covid-19, first since July 15

Orleans and Genesee counties both are reported a big increase in Covid-19 cases since Friday, when the local Health Department last updated the community about new confirmed cases.

In Orleans County there are 18 more cases since Friday while Genesee has 43 more confirmed cases.

Orleans also is reporting a death from Covid-19, a person over age 65. This is the first Covid death in the county since July 15. The county has now had 56 residents die after contracting Covid.

“We are deeply saddened to report we have had an Orleans County community member pass away due to Covid-19,” the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments stated in a news release. “Out of respect for the family we will not release any further details about this individual. We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this person and encourage our community members to be respectful of the family’s time of grieving.”

Orleans has now had 439 positive cases since March. The 18 new positive cases include residents in Albion, Barre, Clarendon, Gaines, Kendall, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates.

The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 40s, 50s and 60s.

Three of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments said.

Orleans is also reporting six recoveries from Covid and those people have been removed from the isolation list.

• The Health Departments have been notified of a positive student at Lyndonville High School and a positive student at Medina High School. The students were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. The individuals are on mandatory isolation until they recover. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual.

• Albion Central School also said one of its students has tested positive for Covid-19. The student is a hybrid learner in the high school.

As the student has not been in school since Oct. 26, the Health Department determined there is no need to do further contact tracing in the school due to the look-back period, the school district stated on its website.

In Genesee County, the 43 new positive cases bring Genesee’s total to 465 positive cases since March.

Due to the volume of positives, further information will be updated tomorrow, the Health Departments said. Staff are working on contact tracing.

• The Genesee County Health Department was notified of two teachers testing positive at Jackson Primary School in Batavia. The individuals have been placed under mandatory isolation where they will remain until they have recovered.

Contact tracing is in process to identify close contacts. Out of an abundance of caution, Jackson Primary School will be 100 percent remote virtual learning until Monday, November 30.

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2 neighboring counties in danger of more restrictions if cases continue to rise

Two of Orleans County’s neighbors, Monroe and Erie, have been designated with yellow precautionary zone focus areas due to rising Covid cases.

The state’s yellow zone restrictions include a 25-person maximum capacity on mass gatherings, 4-person to a table maximum while dining and 20 percent weekly testing of in-person students, faculty in schools. Bars and restaurants located in Yellow Precautionary Zones must close at midnight.

The two counties could see more restrictions if cases continue to rise.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the cluster strategy has worked so far, with increased testing, awareness and actions to rein in Covid.

For example, Brooklyn was changed from the most restrictive red zone to an orange warning zone based on reduced Covid cases. The change to an orange zone  allowed many businesses to reopen.

“Covid is surging across the country and the globe, and we expect the rates will continue to go up through the fall and into the winter,” Governor Cuomo said today. “The long-term prognosis is get a vaccine as quickly as possible, and administer the vaccine as quickly, fairly and equitably as possible. In the meantime, we manage the increase by doing more testing and targeted restrictions where necessary, and being more aggressive on enforcement.”

The state designated large portions of Erie, Monroe and also Onondaga counties with yellow zones today.

• Erie County – Over the past 10 days, parts of Erie County have had 7-day average positivity rates above 2.5 percent, and cases per 100,000 and new daily hospital admissions have increased, meeting the metrics for a yellow zone designation. (Click here to see a map of the county in the yellow zone.)

• Monroe County – Over the past 10 days, parts of Monroe County have had 7-day average positivity rates above 3 percent, and cases per 100,000 and new daily hospital admissions have increased, meeting the metrics for a yellow zone designation. (Click here to see a map of the county in the yellow zone.)

• Onondaga County – Over the past 10 days, parts of Onondaga County have had 7-day average positivity rates above 3%, and cases per 100,000 and new daily hospital admissions have increased, meeting the metrics for a yellow zone designation. (Click here to see a map of the county in the yellow zone.)

‘I know people are tired – Covid fatigue is real. But the virus isn’t tired.’ – Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Identifying and Implementing Focus Zone

Daily data monitoring enables the state to identify areas that are experiencing a concerning increase in Covid spread, Cuomo said.

Once an area meets certain metrics – detailed below – that demonstrate substantial spread, it may be designated a focus zone.

• Red Zone — Micro-Cluster: A “Red Zone” focus area is put in place to contain spread from a specific, defined geographic area.

• Orange Zone — Warning/Buffer: An Orange Zone area either is put in place primarily in densely populated urban areas as a tight buffer zone around a Red Zone micro-cluster (“Orange Buffer Zone”) area or is implemented independently as a focus area based on metrics.

The purpose of an Orange Buffer Zone is to 1) restrict activity to prevent further spread from Red Zone area; 2) provide a defined geographic area where metrics can be monitored daily to ensure Covid is not spreading beyond the Red Zone.

• Yellow Zone — Precautionary/Buffer: A “Yellow Zone” area either is put in place as a broader buffer area to ensure Covid outbreak is not spreading into the broader community or is implemented independently based on the metrics.

The purpose of a Yellow Buffer Zone is to 1) restrict some activity to help prevent further spread from Red and/or Orange Warning Zone area; 2) provide a larger defined geographic area where metrics can be monitored daily to ensure Covid is not spreading beyond the Red Zone or Orange Warning Zone.

The restrictions for the three cluster zones include:

• Red Zone — Cluster Itself

Houses of Worship: 25 percent capacity, 10 people maximum

Mass Gatherings: Prohibited

Businesses: Only essential businesses open

Dining: Takeout only

Schools: Closed, remote only

Orange Zone — Warning Zone

Houses of Worship: 33 percent capacity, 25 people maximum

Mass Gatherings: 10 people maximum, indoor and outdoor

Businesses: Closing high-risk non-essential businesses, such as gyms and personal care

Dining: Outdoor dining only, 4 person maximum per table

Schools: Closed, remote only

Yellow Zone — Precautionary Zone

Houses of Worship: 50 percent capacity

Mass Gatherings: 25 people maximum, indoor and outdoor

Businesses: Open

Dining: Indoor and outdoor dining, 4 person maximum per table

Schools: Open with mandatory weekly testing of students and teachers/staff for in-person settings with percentage of students and teachers to be tested to be established by the New York State Department of Health.

A county or area can be downgraded in zone designation or have the designation ended if the positivity data, cases per capita, and daily hospital admissions over a 14 day period go down, showing there are no signs of broader spread from the focus area that prompted the zone creation.

“I know people are tired – Covid fatigue is real,” Cuomo said. “But the virus isn’t tired. The red, orange and yellow zones are our way of saying the virus is making headway and we’re going to increase restrictions and we’re going to increase enforcement. When we see a small increase, we attack that small increase – and the numbers show it works.”

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Limited visitation to continue for specific groups

Press Release, Rochester Regional Health

BATAVIA – Due to the rapidly increasing prevalence of Covid-19 in the Finger Lakes Region, Rochester Regional Health will suspend general visitation at all hospitals effective Sunday, November 8 at 7 p.m.

This includes Rochester General Hospital, Unity Hospital in Greece, Unied Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, and Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic in Clifton Springs, Ontario County. Newark-Wayne Community Hospital in Newark, Wayne County suspended visitation last week.

Limited visitation will be allowed in the following cases:

• Pediatric patients may have one support person on-site at a time. Two support people can alternate visitation.
• Obstetrical patients may have one on-site support person and a doula.
• Patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, and cognitive impairments, including dementia or who have conditions protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, may have a support person who is medically necessary for their care.
• Visitation at end of life.

In the above cases, visitation will only be allowed under the following conditions:

• Visitors/support people will have their temperature checked before entering the hospital and then again every 12 hours while in a clinical area.
• If a visitor/support person has a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or more) or displays symptoms, they are not allowed into the hospital.

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New cases include a student at Albion and one at Elba

Orleans County has 7 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 for a total of 421 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases are residents in Albion, Barre, Carlton, Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s.

One of the individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, said the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

Due to the new “test-out” option and the discrepancies in reporting domestic

Travel, the Health Departments will currently not be reporting precautionary quarantine data.

In Orleans, one person remains hospitalized due to Covid, and one more person has recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

• The Health Department has been notified of a positive student at Albion Elementary School. The student was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, therefore no school impact, the Health Departments said.

The individual is on mandatory isolation until recovered. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual.

In Genesee County there are 11 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 422 cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in Alexander, Batavia, Byron, Elba, LeRoy,

Pembroke and Stafford. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 50s and 60s.

None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments reported this afternoon.

Two residents of Genesee are hospitalized due to Covid.

• The Health Department has been notified of a positive student at the Elba Elementary School. The student was not in school two days prior to testing positive, therefore no school impact, the Health Departments said.

The individuals is on mandatory isolation until recovered. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual.

• 3-county database: To see an online database of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here. There are currently 107 active cases in the three counties, with 54 in Genesee, 25 in Orleans and 28 in Wyoming.

More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:

Flu Tracking: For the 2020-2021 Flu Season we will provide data on Fridays on the current influenza activity. To check the data, click here.

For the current week ending date Oct. 31, Genesee and Orleans both have no cases. There are 88 cases statewide. This is up 42% from previous week.

Cases statewide for the season to date: 282. This data is influenza that is confirmed by laboratory testing. Not everyone seeks testing for confirmation of the flu.

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Orleans has highest positive rate of 3 counties

The three rural counties of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming crossed a milestone this week when they exceeded 1,000 cases of Covid-19 combined since March.

On Monday, the combined cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming were at 990. Today, they were at 1,045.

Orleans has had the most cases among the three counties since March with 414, despite a smaller population than neighboring Genesee, which has had 411 cases. Wyoming has had 220 cases.

Orleans and Wyoming are similar in size at about 40,000 people. (Orleans had 40,352 in the 2019 Census estimate, while Wyoming had 39,859 in the Census estimate from last year. Genesee has closer to 60,000 people at 57,280.)

All three counties have seen the rate of cases rise significantly in the past month. Genesee has 88 new cases since Oct. 5, while Orleans has 96 more and Wyoming, 86 more Covid cases.

Compare that with July 6 to Aug. 5, when Genesee added 35 cases, Orleans was up 13 and Wyoming had 20 more cases.

Here are where the three counties were in cases in the past four months:

Genesee County

• July 6, 228 cases; Aug. 5, 263 cases; Sept. 4, 283 cases; Oct. 5, 232 cases; and Nov. 5, 411 cases.

Orleans County

• July 6, 267 cases; Aug. 5, 280 cases; Sept. 4, 290 cases; Oct. 5, 318 cases; and Nov. 5, 414 cases.

Wyoming County

• July 6, 90 cases; Aug. 5, 110 cases; Sept. 4, 120 cases; Oct. 5, 140 cases; and Nov. 5, 226 cases.

The three counties combined have done 88,747 Covid tests with 1,045 positive for a positivity rate of 1.18 percent.

The positivity rates for the three counties include:

• Genesee, 411 out of 40,844 tests, 1.01 percent positive
• Orleans, 414 out of 21,626 tests, 1.91 percent positive
• Wyoming, 220 out 26,277 tests, 0.84 percent positive

To see an online map about the Covid cases and tests in three counties, click here.

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Orleans County has 6 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 for a total of 414 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in Gaines, Lyndonville, Clarendon, Ridgeway and Albion. The individuals are in their 20s, 50s and 60s.

None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County health Departments reported this afternoon.

There are 15 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Orleans is reporting one more recovery from Covid and that person has been removed from the isolation list.

One Orleans resident remains hospitalized due to Covid-19.

Genesee County has received 10 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 411 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in Batavia, Bethany, Darien, Elba and Pembroke. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s.

Three of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments said.

Genesee has 15 more people are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Genesee also has six more recoveries and they have been removed from the isolation list.

Two from Genesee remain hospitalized from Covid.

• The Health Departments have been notified of a positive student at the Alexander Middle/High School. The individuals are on mandatory isolation until recovered. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual.

• The Health Departments have been notified of a positive student at the Batavia High School. The student was not in school two days prior to testing positive, therefore no school impact. The individuals are on mandatory isolation until recovered. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual.

• Active cases in 3 rural counties: Click here to see an online database of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. There are currently 118 actives cases in the three counties, with 43 in Genesee, 19 in Orleans and 56 in Wyoming.

Here is each region’s percentage of positive test results as reported over the last three days. Orleans County is the Finger Lakes Region, which had the highest rate in the state on Wednesday.

• State-wide update: The statewide positivity rate is 1.86 percent while the positive testing rate in all Focus Zone Areas is 3.04 percent. The positivity rate outside all Focus Zone Areas is 1.70 percent.

Within the focus areas, 19,814 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 602 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 141,205 test results were reported, yielding 2,395 positives.

“Every expert told us come the fall cases would go up, and that’s what’s happening around the country and the globe,” Governor Cuomo said. “We got ready here in New York: we have our micro-cluster strategy and we have our additional testing. That’s why we have the third lowest positivity rate in the country.”

“But Covid fatigue is creeping up and there are serious caution flags in Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and in other communities across the state, so it is more important than ever that we be vigilant. Wear masks, wash your hands, adhere to social distancing rules, and enforce the public health guidelines that are there to save lives.”

More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:

• A reminder the numbers listed as positive/active are current community cases. The recovered numbers are only for community cases and do not include non-county regulated facilities. The total positive cases includes community active/positive, community recovered and all those from non-county regulated facilities.

• Gathering Size: According to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.45, all non-essential gatherings of up to 50 individuals of any size for any reason (celebrations, weddings, or other social events at public facilities or private venues) unless otherwise designated (ex. Religious gatherings) are allowed as long as appropriate social distancing, wearing cloth masks/face coverings over their mouth and nose, and cleaning and disinfection protocol requirements are followed.

With the recent uptick of individuals testing positive and the stricter guidance placed by the Governor, it is important to remember that those who plan and host non-essential gatherings (whether at a venue or a private residence) as noted above, can be fined up to $15,000, and/or cause our counties to be considered a micro-cluster which will place the area under stricter restrictions.

• Micro-clusters: The initiative will take the most significant action within the cluster (Red Zone), moderate action in the area surrounding the cluster to stop the spread (Orange Zone), and precautionary action in the outlying communities (Yellow Zone). To learn more about the Cluster Action Initiative, click here.

• Travel Advisory: As of Nov. 4 there will be new travel guidelines. Out-of-state travelers to New York will be able to “test out” of the mandatory 14-day quarantine if they have a negative Covid-19 test result at least 3 days prior to entering New York and after a 3-day quarantine starting on their arrival in New York, test negative on day 4 of their quarantine.

If you choose not to test prior to entering New York you will be on 14-day quarantine. In both instances you are responsible to complete the New York State Traveler Health Form. If you traveled to another state for less than 24 hours, you do not need a test prior to your departure from the other state and do not need to quarantine upon arrival in NYS. The traveler must still fill out the NYS Traveler Form and take a Covid-19 diagnostic test 4 days after their arrival in New York. For more information on this new advisory, click here.

The Governor is also encouraging that non-essential travel to/from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont as they may meet the criteria for NYS travel advisory.

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AAA shares advice for Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

Press Release, AAA of Western and Central New York

This week is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week and AAA has advice for motorists to avoid the dangerous habit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 35 percent of U.S. drivers sleep less than the recommended minimum of seven hours daily. In a 2018 AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey, nearly all drivers (96 percent) say they view drowsy driving as a serious threat to their safety and a completely unacceptable behavior.

However, 29 percent admitted to driving when they were so tired they had a hard time keeping their eyes open at some point.

The AAA Foundation also conducted in-depth drowsy driving research in the U.S. using footage of everyday drivers. It found that the percentage of crashes involving drowsiness is nearly eight times higher than federal estimates.

In the 2018 study, researchers examined video of drivers’ faces in the three minutes leading up to a crash. Using a scientific measure linking the percentage of time a person’s eyes are closed to their level of drowsiness, the researchers determined that 9.5 percent of all crashes and 10.8 percent of crashes resulting in significant property damage involved drowsiness. Federal estimates indicate drowsiness is a factor in only one to two percent of crashes.

The difficulty in detecting drowsiness following a crash makes drowsy driving one of the most underreported traffic safety issues.

Knowing the warning signs of drowsiness can help drivers avoid dozing off behind the wheel. The most common symptoms include:

• Having trouble keeping your eyes open
• Drifting from your lane
• Not remembering the last few miles driven

Drivers however should not rely on their bodies to provide warning signs for drowsiness and should instead prioritize getting at least seven hours of sleep before hitting the road. AAA recommends that drivers:

• Travel at times of the day when they are normally awake
• Avoid heavy foods
• Avoid medications that cause drowsiness or other impairment

For longer trips, drivers should:

• Schedule a break every two hours or every 100 miles
• Travel with an alert passenger and take turns driving
• Do not underestimate the power of a quick nap. Pulling into a rest stop and taking a quick catnap – at least 20 minutes and no more than 30 minutes of sleep – can help to keep you alert on the road.

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School staff at Kendall, Alexander and Batavia BOCES have confirmed cases

Orleans County is reporting six new cases of Covid-19 since Monday, when the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments last updated the community.

The new positive cases reside in Gaines, Barre, Clarendon and Murray. The individuals are in their 20s, 30s, 50s and 60s.

Three of the individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

Orleans has now had 408 people test positive for Covid since March.

The county is also reporting 22 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

The county also has had four more recoveries and those residents have been removed from the isolation list. Orleans has now had 232 recoveries in the community from Covid. One of the positive individuals is hospitalized.

The Health Department has been notified of a positive staff member at the Kendall Central School District. The individual is under mandatory isolation. All close contacts have been identified and placed under the NYS Contact Tracers and placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from last contact with the positive individual.

Genesee County received 20 new positive cases of Covid-19 and has now had 401 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Batavia, Bergen, Elba, LeRoy, Oakfield and Pembroke.

The individual are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s. Two of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

Genesee has 28 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Genesee also is reporting 16 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list, bringing Genesee’s total recoveries to 299 in the community.

There 2 people from Genesee County currently hospitalized due to Covid.

The Health Department has been notified of 2 positive students and 1 staff member at the Alexander Middle/High School and 1 Alexander Central School District staff member. The individuals are on mandatory isolation until recovered. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual.

The Health Department also has been notified of a positive staff member of the Genesee Valley BOCES, Batavia Center. The individual is on mandatory isolation until recovered. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual.

Click here to see an online map of the confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. There are 74 active cases in the three counties with 39 in Genesee, 14 in Orleans and 21 in Wyoming.

Here is each region’s percentage of positive test results as reported over the last three days. Orleans County is the Finger Lakes Region.

Statewide Data: The statewide positivity rate is 1.59 percent. The positive testing rate in all Focus Zone areas is 2.69 percent. The positivity outside the focus zone areas is 1.42 percent.

Within the focus areas, 18,581 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 499 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 114,953 test results were reported, yielding 1,627 positives.

“The surge in cases around the country and the globe is a stark reminder that this pandemic is far from over, and while we are doing a good job keeping our positivity rate comparatively low, the numbers in Western New York are a caution flag,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’re staying on top of this situation by continuing our aggressive micro-cluster strategy, expanding testing capacity and enforcing compliance of the public health law.”

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Orleans reports 25 more recoveries for people who had Covid

Orleans County has three new confirmed cases of Covid-19 today, which pushes the county past 400 total cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre and Murray. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 30s and 60s.

The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said this afternoon.

There are also 7 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

The county also has 25 more recoveries from Covid-19 and those people have been removed from the isolation list.

One Orleans resident remains hospitalized due to Covid.

In Genesee County there are 6 new positive cases of Covid-19 and has now had 381 positive cases.

The new positive cases reside in Batavia, Bergen, Elba, LeRoy, Oakfield and Pavilion. The individuals are either in their 30s, 50s or 60s.

One of the individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments reported.

There are 16 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Genesee also is reporting 16 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.

Genesee also has 1 person hospitalized due to Covid.

To see an online map of the confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here. There are currently 44 active case sin the three counties with 21 in Genesee, 12 in Orleans and 11 in Wyoming.

• Notice from the Health Departments: Due to Election Day there will be no press briefing, no update on the map, nor on the respective county websites. Updates will resume on Wednesday.

• State-wide Data: The statewide positivity rate is 1.70 percent with the positive testing rate in all Focus Zone areas at 3.50 percent. The positivity outside all Focus Zone areas is 1.48 percent.

Within the focus areas, 10,503 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 368 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 85,598 test results were reported, yielding 1,265 positives.

“New York is in the midst of a sea of division and a national Covid surge,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “All around us, the Covid infection rate is going up. You see it in states all across the nation, in countries around the globe, and in contiguous states. So we should be on high alert and we should be even more diligent, because the virus spreads across state boundaries, and we’re in the party season.”

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Dr. Khurrum Sanaullah

MEDINA – A pediatrician in Orleans County is expressing his concern regarding the upcoming flu season and some parents’ decision not to have their children vaccinated.

Dr. Khurrum Sanaullah joined Rochester Regional Health in April and is affiliated with United Memorial Medical Center and Orleans Community Health. He offers pediatric services at Medina Family Medicine on Ohio Street and Batavia Pediatrics.

Dr. Sanaullah recently gave a Zoom videoconference on his concern about a recent poll which found that one out of three parents do not plan to have their child vaccinated for the flu. Further, the poll revealed that only one out of three parents believe it is more important for their child to get the flu vaccine this year, compared to past years.

The two major contributing reasons revealed in the study indicate parents are keeping their kids away from health care sites during Covid-19; and parents are concerned due to misinformation about side effects and the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Dr. Sanaullah states it is even more important this year for children to get a flu shot because of the pandemic. He adds, the best time to have the flu shot is now.

He said the flu vaccine does not cause any serious side effects, and it is much better to get sick from the vaccine than from the flu itself.

“Your symptoms will be much milder,” he said. “The medical profession has never showed that the flu vaccine causes serious side effects.”

The doctor also said symptoms of the flu and Covid are very similar – chills, fever, body aches, cough, headache, vomiting and diarrhea, and if a person developed both, it could be a big problem.

“It’s a very smart idea to get your children vaccinated,” the doctor said.

He said all children between the ages of 6 months and 21 years should have the flu vaccine. The vaccine can be administered at a local pharmacy, although many pharmacies won’t vaccinate a child under 6.

Dr. Sanaullah said the flu season is typically from September through April and the earlier the flu vaccine is administered, the better. But it is never too late.