Free seasonal flu vaccinations will be offered to those who work in close contact with poultry as a precautionary public health measure, the UK Department of Health announced.
This voluntary vaccination programme is being offered to those who work in close contact with poultry to protect them from seasonal (human) flu. By protecting poultry workers against human flu, any slight risk that the worker could catch human flu and avian (bird) flu at the same time would be reduced. This may be important if there were an outbreak of bird flu in poultry in this country.
If the poultry worker caught both human and bird flu viruses at the same time then there is a very slight risk that the two viruses could mix in their body to create a new and potentially serious flu virus. Seasonal flu vaccine protects against ordinary human flu thus reducing the risk of a new virus emerging.
Seasonal flu vaccination does not protect against bird flu.
Director of Immunisation, Dr David Salisbury said:
"Avian flu is a disease of birds. Only those who are in close, prolonged contact with diseased birds are at risk from catching H5N1. Even so, people rarely become infected. There have been no human cases of H5N1 avian flu in the UK.
"The immunisation programme we are announcing today is a precautionary measure which reduces any very low risk of a pandemic flu virus emerging in the UK. The programme has the support of the poultry industry. This is a prudent and precautionary step to take as part of our contingency planning in protecting the population against the risk of pandemic flu".
The programme will run from January 22nd to March 31st. Information packs are being sent to all keepers of poultry who are required to be registered and approved slaughterhouses in England. This will alert poultry workers to their entitlement to access free seasonal flu vaccination through their local PCTs. PCTs throughout the country will be given the appropriate amount of seasonal flu vaccine and extra resources to cater for the expected additional uptake.
It is estimated that more than 60,000 poultry workers may be eligible for the flu vaccine.