Bloomberg Pushes Mandatory Flu Shots

For all children in New York City under 5

Could New York City school children soon be required to get a flu shot?

With three weeks left in office, that's what Mayor Bloomberg is pushing, and not all parents are happy about it.

Flu vaccines could soon be mandatory for up to 150,000 children in New York City.

The Board of Health will vote on new rules that would require a flu vaccine for all children age 6 months to five years who attend a licensed preschool or daycare.

"We estimate that 10 to 25,000 kids won't suffer the flu because of that vaccine . For every 100 kids under the age of 5, 40 of them will get sick in any year from the flu," said Dr. Jay Varma, Deputy Commissioner for Disease Control for New York City.