As summer approaches, New York is buzzing back to life. The jazz buskers in the park, the first fireflies, warm late-day sun, and the kind of weather that makes you want to just lie in the grass and absorb it all.

I love this part of the year. But while I’m planning afternoon picnics, I’m also watching the health concerns that come with summer. Whether it’s pollution creeping into the Bronx, wildfire smoke drifting hundreds of miles, or stifling heat that can make breathing feel heavier. We’re digging into all of that this week.

And we also have some exciting World Cup news to share!

Congestion pricing may be pushing pollution into the South Bronx

Congestion pricing, launched in early 2025, was designed in part to reduce traffic and improve air quality. But is it? An early study suggests it’s not helping everyone equally.

A preliminary analysis from Columbia found that air quality worsened in the South Bronx, where asthma rates are already among the highest in NYC.

Researchers analyzed 19 sensors across the Bronx before and after congestion pricing began and found that several showed increases in fine particulate matter (PM2.5)—the tiny particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and worsen asthma, heart disease, and other health conditions.

Across four of the sensors, air quality worsened significantly, and across two sensors, it improved.

The hypothesis? Cars or trucks may be rerouted through the Bronx to avoid the toll zone.

This was a concern flagged by many, including me and the MTA’s environmental review. So the agency pledged $70 million for Bronx mitigation measures, including asthma programs and the electrification of diesel trucks at Hunts Point. Many of these initiatives haven’t been rolled out yet.

If we zoom out citywide, air quality may be improving, as shown by preliminary analyses from Cornell and the MTA. The key question is whether cleaner air city-wide is coming at the cost of dirtier air in the Bronx.

What to do:

• If you or your child has asthma and lives near the Cross-Bronx, Major Deegan, or another high-traffic route, this is a good time to make sure your asthma action plan is up to date.
• Check real-time air quality at airnow.gov.
• Consider limiting outdoor exercise on high-pollution days.
• And, as always, consult with a clinical care team if you’re high risk for air quality-related health issues.

Wildfire season is here: Here’s how I’m preparing

Flashback to summer 2023. The sky over NYC turned an eerie orange, like a scene out of an apocalypse movie. Wildfire smoke from Canada blanketed the Northeast, and air quality hit hazardous levels.

For many New Yorkers, it felt shocking. For me, the scene is actually familiar.

I grew up in Northern California, wildfire-adjacent for most of my life. We had wildfire smoke days at school instead of snow days. In 2018, when the Camp Fire destroyed the town of Paradise, my hometown Chico became a refugee zone overnight. Tents filled up the Walmart parking lot. My sisters and I collected pet supply donations for families who evacuated so fast they couldn’t grab dog food, leashes, or medicine.

We were truly inspired by the amount of community donations supporting families with pets during the Camp Fire! My sisters and I filled three cars to the brim.

That experience changed how I think about wildfires. They don’t just burn land, they upend health, school, work, caregiving, pets, housing, all of it. So when smoke reaches New York, I see it as something we need to prepare for, not just react to.

New York State and NYC expect wildfire smoke to be a recurring risk this summer. And nationally, wildfire activity is already running high this year. More than 1.8 million acres have already burned across the country as of late April—194% of the previous 10-year average.

Here’s what I’m doing now to get ready:

1. Bookmarking AirNow.gov. This is the best place to check real-time air quality before outdoor plans, especially if you or someone in your household has asthma, COPD, heart disease, or another condition that makes smoke more dangerous.
2. Watching the AQI. An AQI above 100 is unhealthy for sensitive groups. AQI above 150 is unhealthy for everyone.
3. Setting up an air purifier. We have two HEPA filters in our house. They have been a lifesaver during smoke days because even if windows are shut, we find smoke still creeps in through the cracks and window/wall-unit air conditioners. A lower-cost option is a DIY box fan filter, but don’t leave it unattended (they can overheat). On this page, there’s a DIY video on making one at home.
4. Keeping high-quality masks on hand. If you need to go outside during a smoke event, use a well-fitting N95 or KN95. Surgical and cloth masks do not filter PM2.5.
5. Checking on medication plans. If you or your child has asthma, COPD, or another respiratory condition, now is a good time to make sure medications are filled and your action plan is up to date, before smoke arrives.

We know that the risk of wildfire smoke is increasing in New York. But taking even just a few of these steps ahead of time helps with how ready we are.

Quick updates: vaccine law, heat, ebola, and The World Cup

Two new vaccine laws

Governor Hochul signed two landmark bills on May 15 that make New York’s vaccine policy less dependent on federal recommendations.

One bill requires insurers to cover vaccines recommended by the NY state commissioner of health, not just those approved by the federal ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the body that sets national vaccine guidance). The second removes all references to ACIP from state law, protecting Medicaid coverage of vaccines even if federal recommendations change. It also ensures pharmacists can give Covid-19 vaccines to children ages 2–18.

If you have private insurance or Medicaid, your vaccine coverage is now anchored to state law, regardless of what happens federally.

Heat is here

Parts of New York hit 94 degrees this week, and hotter days are on the horizon. During a heat wave, the best thing to do is to stay cool, avoid strenuous activity when the risk is high, and check in on neighbors who may not have air conditioning.

A few helpful resources: (For a deeper dive on heat, check out my earlier post here.)

• Check local heat risk on national dashboards, especially before doing strenuous outdoor activity. Enter your zipcode here.

• Apply to get a free air conditioner or fan through HEAP, if you qualify.

• Use a cooling space. Cooling centers can be found in NYC here and across the rest of the state here. Libraries, museums, or coffee shops are great options.

• Keep your pets cool. They’re susceptible to heat stroke, too. Here are hot-weather safety tips for pets.

• Watch out for hot playgrounds. Metal, turf, and black asphalt can cause burns on hot days.

• Know what symptoms to look out for. Confusion, dizziness, and unconsciousness are serious signs of heat stroke that warrant calling 911.

Ebola

I won’t spend much time on the Ebola outbreak here, except to say that my heart goes out to the communities in the DRC navigating this. It must be incredibly scary.

For New Yorkers, the risk remains extremely low. YLE National covered the details earlier this week, and I highly recommend this moving piece from my friend Emily Smith on the equity challenges surrounding Ebola outbreaks.

GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAL!

The World Cup is coming to New York soon! It will bring thousands of travelers, packed stadiums, many celebrations, mixtures of cultures, and all the public health complexities that come with it. YLE is playing a central role in the national Health Security Operations Center.

If you’re attending a game or live within 30 miles of a host city, we want to hear from you!

• What you’d be doing: Taking a short weekly survey. It’s a few questions about what health topics are on your mind, what rumors or concerns you’re hearing, and what questions aren’t getting answered.
• Why it matters: We will use your responses to directly address the questions and concerns most relevant to you in the Your Local Epidemiologist newsletter—and we’ll summarize the responses for our partners so local health systems and governments can better respond to fan needs in real time.
• Ready to join? Sign up here and we’ll follow up with everything you need to get started.

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Bottom line

You’re all caught up on New York public health news. See you next week!

Love,

Your NY Epi

Dr. Marisa Donnelly, PhD, is an epidemiologist, science communicator, and public health expert. This newsletter exists to translate complex public health data into actionable insights, empowering New Yorkers to make informed and evidence-based health decisions.