The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has allocated more than 100,000 doses of seasonal influenza vaccine to 12 states that have had dairy herds test positive for H5N1 bird flu. This is part of a CDC initiative announced this summer to provide several supplemental free seasonal influenza vaccines to farm workers across states affected by H5N1 to prevent the spread of seasonal flu in these communities and safeguard public health.
The 12 states include: California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas. All states with dairy herds that have tested positive for H5N1 bird flu were invited to apply to receive additional doses of seasonal influenza vaccine — allocated specifically for farm workers — beyond what the states were already planning to provide. States will conduct screening to ensure that these doses are going to farm workers and will track the number of doses given monthly by age.
While a seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against H5N1 bird flu, expanding access to seasonal flu vaccines among farm workers can prevent severe illness and help reduce the strain of the flu season on rural healthcare systems. Reducing the prevalence of seasonal flu also can help public health agencies better detect cases of H5N1 bird flu, should they occur. And fewer people infected with seasonal flu means fewer opportunities for the very rare possibility of co-infection with both a human seasonal virus and an avian virus. For more information on receiving these free flu vaccines, contact your local health department.
By Jason Hartschuh, Assistant Professor, OSU Extension Field Specialist, Dairy Management and Precision Livestock, Ohio State University Extension
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