CDC working to protect farmworkers as bird flu impacts several states

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking enactment to trim the hazard of the vertebrate flu, particularly among farmworkers.

"Year successful and twelvemonth out, People who unrecorded successful agrarian communities thin to get the flu vaccine little often than different parts of the U.S.," said Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner, a Medical Epidemiologist with the CDC.

This year, there's besides interest astir the vertebrate flu. California has astatine slightest 37 confirmed quality cases of the disease, including respective dairy workers.

"We surely don't privation radical to person co-infections with the 2 viruses," said Azziz-Baumgartner. "It tin pb to changes successful the microorganism that tin beryllium problematic and for getting the quality to transmit among people."

That's wherefore the CDC has launched a programme to marque the flu changeable free. More than 100,000 doses of the vaccine were provided to 12 states affected by vertebrate flu outbreaks successful hopes of preventing those co-infections.

Azziz-Baumgartner said it's not excessively precocious for ag workers to get their flu shots.

"For example, past year, 25,000 radical died of flu," said Azziz-Baumgartner. "We don't privation radical successful the assemblage to beryllium dying from a preventable disease."

When it comes to the vertebrate flu, Governor Gavin Newsom precocious declared a authorities of exigency to streamline and expedite California's response.

The Fresno County Farm Bureau is besides taking other steps to assistance support dairy workers safe.

"Wear imaginable PPE erstwhile it's being utilized," said Ryan Jacobsen, the CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau. "This is thing that looks similar it's either passed done whether it's the beverage itself, the splashing of the beverage oregon the manure. Trying to minimize interaction successful immoderate surfaces wherever it could get in."

Jacobsen urges farmworkers who are funny successful the escaped flu vaccine programme to scope retired to their section wellness departments.

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