"Although health officials say the risk of H5N1 bird flu infection is still low for the general population, they announced on Monday a $5-million plan to offer seasonal flu vaccine to livestock workers.
Nine poultry workers in Colorado are reported to have been infected; the symptoms were described as “mild,” with conjunctivitis, or pink eye, as the predominant symptom. The official case total across the U.S. since April now stands at 13.
“These cases highlight that certain groups who focus on depopulating” — like the poultry workers in charge of killing the animals — “are at heightened risk of infection,” said Nirav Shah, principal deputy director at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials said they are launching this program for seasonal flu vaccine to protect the health of farmworkers, and also to reduce the chance of a human flu mixing with an H5N1 virus, which could ignite a new pandemic threat."
Susanne Rust reports for the Los Angeles Times July 30, 2024.
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