Public health experts recommend annual vaccines for individual and community health

Brooklyn, NY, Oct. 8, 2025 – Maimonides Health has announced that 2025-2026 influenza and Covid-19 vaccines are available to all new and existing patients of primary care centers including Maimonides Adult and Pediatric Care Newkirk at 1401 Newkirk Ave.; Maimonides Adult Primary Care Center at 1250 57th St.; Maimonides Adult and Pediatric Care 7th Avenue at 6323 7th Ave.; and Maimonides Doctors Multispecialty Pavilion at 4813 Ninth Ave. Additionally, all 7,000 Maimonides employees will have access to the flu and Covid-19 vaccine through Employee Health Services.

This measure ensures all new and existing Maimonides patients have access to these lifesaving vaccines, aligning with New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Sept. 5 Executive Order that allows pharmacists to administer Covid vaccines to all eligible New Yorkers.

New York State’s 2025–26 Covid-19 vaccine guidance recommends vaccination for children over six months of age, all adults, and individuals at higher risk, including those who are pregnant, lactating, or immunocompromised. For those who are pregnant, vaccination during pregnancy protects the newborn baby from Covid and protects against the higher risk of miscarriage and hospitalization if Covid is acquired during pregnancy.

“While flu and Covid-19 vaccines are not mandatory for most adults and children, they are a critical safeguard against death and serious illness on an individual and community scale,” said Ken Gibbs, President and CEO of Maimonides Health, pictured above receiving his annual flu shot and Covid-19 booster. “We are proud to work alongside the state government in ensuring that these recommended vaccines are available and widely accessible to New Yorkers. Preventive measures like immunizations are key to our mission of keeping our community healthy by reducing incidence and severity of potentially life-threatening illnesses.”

“Many in our community—patients, families, and hospital staff—have seen firsthand the effects of Covid-19,” said Edward Chapnick, MD, Vice President and Chief Infection Prevention Officer. “As physicians, we understand that the risks are still very much present, and that the vaccine effectively reduces these risks. As we move into the fall and winter, we must be vigilant against Covid-19 as well as other respiratory illnesses like influenza, RSV, pneumococcal disease, and more. We’re fortunate to have access to vaccines to prevent these deadly illnesses, and we look toward our community as our partners in ensuring we don’t take these public health advancements for granted.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that the Covid-19 vaccine has prevented more than 3 million deaths in the U.S. It reduces the risk of getting Covid, and for those infected, it also reduces the risk of death, hospitalization, and long Covid. The vaccine has been shown to be safe in studies of millions of recipients.

Vaccination prevents individual illness, and also protects others in the community who cannot be vaccinated because of medical contraindications. Vaccines are key to achieving herd immunity for illnesses like measles that were previously thought to be eradicated due to routine vaccination. With suboptimal vaccine rates, these diseases can spread more easily across communities.

Maimonides Health recommends that all adults without medical contraindications receive the following immunizations:

• Annual influenza vaccine
• Annual Covid-19 vaccine
• RSV vaccine for ages 75 and over, or 60-75 with underlying medical conditions
• Pneumococcal vaccine for ages 65 and older, and under 65 with underlying medical conditions
• Herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine for ages 50 and over
• MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines if not immune
• Tdap (tetanus, diptheria, pertussis) vaccine every 10 years and during each pregnancy

Ensuring immunizations are available to individuals regardless of socioeconomic factors and other access barriers is critical to achieving greater public health and health equity. This fall, Maimonides will continue its annual community vaccination efforts with a dozen free events conducted in partnership with local elected officials and community organizations. Patients can also contact Maimonides Patient Pricing Transparency Unit at 718-283-CARE (2273)  to verify if their insurance is accepted and covers immunizations at Maimonides outpatient centers.

For more information or to book an appointment, visit Maimonides Primary Care Services or call 718-283-9055.