• Medical providers, shelters and residential facilities, and schools reported cases to DOHMH, with case findings indicating varicella through patient interviews, electronic laboratory reports, and syndromic surveillance of emergency department chief complaints and discharge diagnoses.

• As of March 8, 2024, 873 outbreak cases had been identified, with the onset from September 2022 to March 6, 2024.

• With 17.5% occurring among children aged <4 years, 53% in children aged 4-18 years, and 29% in adults aged >18 years.

• The median age of hospitalized patients was 22 years, with 15 patients admitted for complications such as encephalitis, pneumonia, bacteremia, and secondary bacterial skin superinfection.

• During the outbreak, DOHMH and other NYC Agencies provided vaccinations across multiple residential facilities, prioritizing children and adolescents without vaccination.

• Even then, the outbreak is ongoing, with most cases occurring among children and adolescents, highlighting the need for high vaccination coverage for varicella.

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