Cayuga County’s top community health official is warning residents to stay current on vaccinations for COVID-19, flu, and RSV as fall illness season begins — and to combat growing public mistrust of vaccines.
Dr. Cassandra Archer, Director of Community Health Services for the Cayuga County Health Department, joined host Guy Cosentino on Inside Government to discuss the latest public health developments. Archer said county COVID-19 cases remain relatively low but doubled from August to September, rising from 36 to 87 reported lab-confirmed cases. “Increased infections are a worry,” she said, noting that higher infection rates could lead to more hospitalizations and complications such as long COVID.
Archer said anyone over six months old should receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine, which is widely available through pharmacies and healthcare providers. “Pharmacists can immunize anyone over the age of three,” she said, adding that cost depends on insurance coverage. She emphasized that vaccines remain vital even if infections still occur afterward: “You can get an infection which will hopefully be mild and not end you up in the hospital, and you won’t spread it.”
Flu and RSV activity is currently low in Cayuga County, but Archer warned that both typically increase from late October through March. She urged residents — especially older adults and pregnant women — to get flu and RSV shots to avoid severe illness. “Having a flu vaccine decreases your risk for hospitalization and death,” she said.
The discussion also covered measles detection in Oswego County wastewater. Archer explained that while Cayuga County has not reported any measles cases, Oswego’s lower vaccination rate likely triggered expanded wastewater monitoring. She estimated Cayuga County’s measles vaccination rate at roughly 87% among children under two and 95% for those over six, stressing that unvaccinated groups remain vulnerable.
Beyond seasonal viruses, Archer expressed concern about increasing vaccine denial and misinformation, citing parents refusing newborn vitamin K and childhood vaccines. “My biggest health concern is the mistrust in the medical field and the public health field,” she said. “Nothing is without risk, but when you look at your risk for being exposed to a disease and having a serious complication versus your risk of a complication from vaccine, you are always better off getting the vaccine.”
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