Press Releases : NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC.gov RSS City Hosts Third Weekend of H1N1 Vaccination Clinics For the third time this month, the Health Department will conduct H1N1 vaccination clinics in all five boroughs this Saturday and Sunday (November 21 and 22). People in the following groups will be able to receive vaccine at these clinics: Pregnant women Anyone 4 through 24 years old People 25 through 64 with health conditions that make influenza more dangerous. These include asthma, diabetes, chronic heart and lung conditions, kidney failure, or a weakened immune system. Anyone who lives with or cares for children less than 6 months old Health care workers who have direct contact with patients and cannot receive vaccine through their employers. Health Department Announces Launch of NYC FluLine As part of a continued effort to prepare for the peak of influenza season, the city will launch the NYC FluLine on Thursday, November 19, the Health Department announced today. Through this service, 311 operators will provide concerned New Yorkers with information on what to do if they or a family member feels sick with flu-like illness (fever with cough or sore throat). Callers with symptoms of influenza will be connected to registered nurses, who will provide information and advice on whether to seek care. For concerned patients who don?t have or can?t reach a regular health care provider, NYC FluLine is an alternative to standing in line at a hospital emergency department. The call-center nurses will not make diagnoses or prescribe treatments, but they will advise callers about whether to see a doctor or stay home. When necessary, on-call nurses will refer people to clinics, facilitating timely treatment while preventing unnecessary visits to emergency departments. Operators at 311 will not direct emergency calls to NYC FluLine. Health Department Report Finds Continued Rise in Diabetes Diabetes continues to rise in New York City, consigning tens of thousands of New Yorkers to possible disability and early death, and also fueling racial and economic disparities in health. A new report, Diabetes Among New York City Adults, finds that 9.1% of adult New Yorkers carried the diagnosis in 2007 ? an increase of 13%, or 68,000 cases, since 2002. The recognized citywide rate now significantly exceeds the national rate (7.5%) and threatens to climb even higher. An estimated 200,000 New Yorkers have undiagnosed diabetes. Some 23% have blood-sugar levels that place them on the borderline, and more than half of adult New Yorkers are overweight or obese ? conditions that greatly increase the risk of diabetes.