{"id":184684,"date":"2026-04-03T17:54:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/184684\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T17:54:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:54:11","slug":"new-york-is-getting-warmer-how-that-affects-allergy-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/184684\/","title":{"rendered":"New York is getting warmer. How that affects allergy season."},"content":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared at Your Local Epidemiologist New York<\/a>. Sign up for the YLE NY newsletter here<\/a>. Public health, explained: Sign up to receive Healthbeat\u2019s free New York City newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a ton going on in the world of New York health, so let\u2019s jump right into it.<\/p>\n

\"YourPollen is here. Ugh.<\/p>\n

Is anyone else starting to notice the little tree buds and green sprouts starting to pop up? And despite the confusing false spring\/second winter chaos weather we\u2019ve been experiencing in New York, daily temperatures have been warming. That means we can expect local pollen counts and allergies to increase over the next several weeks, along with those cute little sprouts.<\/p>\n

Most U.S. communities see three pollen waves \u2014 trees, grass, weeds. New York is currently in the tree pollen season. This is relevant because individual allergy sensitivity can vary by pollen type.<\/p>\n

If you feel like allergies have been starting earlier or lasting longer, you aren\u2019t imagining it. Over the past few decades, allergy seasons in New York have gotten worse, partly due to climate change and warming temperatures. Earlier this month, the 80-degree day we had in New York City was record breaking \u2014 the earliest 80-degree day we\u2019ve had on record.<\/p>\n

The length of the average allergy season has now grown by over three weeks since 1970, with higher pollen counts.<\/p>\n

Longer and more intense pollen seasons can exacerbate allergies and respiratory conditions for New Yorkers. While simply annoying for many of us, seasonal allergies can actually be dangerous for many with asthma \u2014 every spring, emergency department visits for asthma spike.<\/p>\n

For those with asthma or more intense allergies, it\u2019s a good idea to speak with a health care practitioner about controlling symptoms before pollen season really takes off. There are also many actions we can take to reduce pollen exposure and prevent it from entering your home:<\/p>\n

Check\u00a0local pollen counts<\/a>.Leave shoes at the door and change clothes after outdoor activities.Wipe off furry animals after they\u2019ve been outside.Shower before bed.Keep windows closed during peak pollen times (midday).Run air conditioning or HEPA filters.Dust and vacuum regularly.<\/p>\n

Dr. Zach Rubin, an allergy doctor, joined YLE on the America Dissected<\/a> podcast last year and gave great tips on managing allergies:<\/p>\n

To relieve sinus symptoms, it can help to rinse your nose with saline water (like with a neti pot), but only using distilled or sterilized water. I\u2019ve found neti pots to really help.For medications, second-generation antihistamines like cetirizine (Zyrtec) tend to\u00a0have fewer side effects<\/a>\u00a0than diphenhydramine (Benadryl). As always, talk with your doctor or pharmacist for more information on medications.Alpha-gal, aka meat allergy, from ticks is increasing in NY<\/p>\n

Alpha-gal syndrome, the red meat allergy caused by lone star tick bites, is rising in New York, and Long Island is a hot spot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 96,000 to 450,000 people in the United States may have been affected since 2010, and cases have been increasing. Suffolk County stands out: CDC data suggest it accounts for about 4% of suspected cases nationwide.<\/p>\n

Symptoms can include:<\/p>\n

HivesStomach painVomiting or diarrheaIn more severe cases, anaphylaxis, which is life-threatening<\/p>\n

Reactions can begin 2\u20136 hours after eating red meat or other mammal-derived products, which can make it harder to link consuming meat with the reaction.<\/p>\n

It used to be that alpha-gal syndrome was mostly found in people who spent a lot of time outdoors or in the woods (like hikers, hunters, farmers, and outdoor workers). But now, many communities are reporting it to be more common, even in people who don\u2019t spend much time in rural outdoor spaces.<\/p>\n

So how does a tick bite turn into a meat allergy? After feeding on mammal blood, the lone star tick carries a sugar molecule called alpha-gal in its gut. When it bites a person, trace amounts of that sugar slip into the body through its saliva. Because humans don\u2019t naturally carry alpha-gal, our immune system may treat it as foreign and start making antibodies against it (i.e., have an immune response to the sugar molecule). Later, when that same person eats red meat or other mammal products, the immune system recognizes alpha-gal again \u2014 and can trigger an allergic reaction, often several hours after a meal.<\/p>\n

What else to know:<\/p>\n

How long does it last?\u00a0It\u2019s considered a chronic disease, persisting indefinitely. For some, sensitivity fades after 1\u20135 years without new tick bites.Is there a blood test?\u00a0Yes. A specific blood test can measure IgE antibodies to alpha-gal. It\u2019s the most reliable diagnostic tool available today.Why is it hard to track?\u00a0Cases are\u00a0not nationally notifiable, so public health officials don\u2019t get complete real-time data.<\/p>\n

The best protection against alpha-gal syndrome is the same as with Lyme disease: Prevent tick bites in the first place.<\/p>\n

Health policy updatesChanges to the Essential Plan and what it means for insurance coverage<\/p>\n

But first, where are my \u201cPitt\u201d fans at?<\/p>\n

Remember how earlier this season there was a construction worker (Orlando) who came in with diabetic ketoacidosis after rationing his insulin because he couldn\u2019t afford it? While the acid built up in his blood was life-threatening, he was terrified of what the hospital bill would be. He worked multiple part-time jobs, none of which provided insurance, and he made just above Medicaid\u2019s income cutoff. He was fully employed, but still couldn\u2019t afford health insurance.<\/p>\n

This story hit close to home for New York.<\/p>\n

New York\u2019s Essential Plan was built for people in this exact situation: those who don\u2019t get insurance through work but earn just over the limit to qualify for Medicaid. It now covers 1.7 million New Yorkers, up from 380,000 when it launched in 2016.<\/p>\n

But the program is now shrinking. After budget cuts from the \u201cBig Beautiful Bill Act\u201d (HR 1), New York asked the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services for permission to switch the current Essential Plan to an older structure. (I wrote about it last month<\/a>.) CMS just approved that request<\/a> last week (which to be honest, was a pleasant surprise). This means that income-based eligibility for the Essential Plan will now drop from 250% of the federal poverty level, to 200% on July 1, 2026. This change preserves Essential Plan coverage for about 1.3 million New Yorkers statewide, but about 500,000 are expected to lose it.<\/p>\n

For single adults, this means that the income cutoff falls from ~$40,000\/year to ~$32,000\/year. For a family of four, that threshold drops from ~$83,000 to ~$66,000. People making just above the new thresholds will now likely be pushed to the marketplace to pay for insurance, where coverage can cost far more ($10,000-$12,000 per year out of pocket) with higher deductibles that many families simply can\u2019t afford.<\/p>\n

While this is bad news, it could have been a whole lot worse. If CMS didn\u2019t approve New York\u2019s workaround, the entire Essential Plan could have shut down. This move doesn\u2019t save everyone\u2019s coverage, but it did prevent a total collapse.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to do:<\/p>\n

Check your pay stubs: If your income is between $32,000 and $40,000 as a single adult or ~$66,000 to 83,000 for a family of four, watch your mail closely.New York has started notifying affected New Yorkers, and coverage changes will begin July 1.Visit\u00a0NY State of Health<\/a>\u00a0to explore your options, or call the helpline at 1-855-355-5777.Something to watch: New vaccine bills in NY<\/p>\n

Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York lawmakers are moving forward with two bills that would further protect vaccines in New York, as federal vaccine policy has become unstable.<\/p>\n

The first bill focuses on insurance coverage for vaccines. It would require state-regulated insurers to fully cover the costs of vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or recommended by the state\u2019s health commissioner. The goal is to make sure that insurance coverage continues even if federal ACIP recommendations change.<\/p>\n

This bill would require private insurers and state-sponsored insurance to cover the cost of these vaccines. So far, it does not make any changes to vaccines covered by Medicaid or the Vaccines for Children program, both of which are still linked only to ACIP recommendations.<\/p>\n

The second bill is about broader immunization guidance. It would remove references to ACIP in multiple state laws, like school immunization requirements, the recommended schedule for newborns, and pharmacist vaccine administration rules. Like the first bill, it shifts guidance toward the New York state health commissioner. This could be good, but it could also be risky in the future \u2014 politics change, and there\u2019s no guarantee that future commissioners will be as evidence-forward as ours is right now.<\/p>\n

The proposed bills build on the executive order Hochul put forward in the fall to preserve vaccine access, and would put those actions into state law. It\u2019s a good step. These bills are also an example of how vaccine access is increasingly becoming a hyperlocal issue. But the bills still need to pass through the state legislature, so they aren\u2019t set in stone yet.<\/p>\n

Bottom line<\/p>\n

You\u2019re all caught up on New York public health news! Enjoy this weather, and consider stocking up on tissues and bug repellent. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Love,<\/p>\n

Your NY Epi<\/p>\n

Dr. Marisa Donnelly<\/a>, PhD, is an epidemiologist, science communicator, and public health advocate. She specializes in infectious diseases, outbreak response, and emerging health threats. She has led multiple outbreak investigations at the California Department of Public Health and served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Donnelly is also an epidemiologist at Biobot Analytics, where she works at the forefront of wastewater-based disease surveillance. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article originally appeared at Your Local Epidemiologist New York. Sign up for the YLE NY newsletter here.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":184685,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9,11,10,11013],"class_list":{"0":"post-184684","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-headlines","10":"tag-new-york-news","11":"tag-yle-logo"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/184685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}