Vaccination for poultry workers to stop bird flu (From Mid Devon Star)
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Vaccination for poultry workers to stop bird flu
5:54pm Wednesday 24th January 2007 in News By Claire Ward-Willis
POULTRY workers in Mid Devon are being urged to get a free flu jab in a bid to reduce the risk of a mutation of the bird flu virus.
The appeal has been made by Devon Primary Care Trust, which has sent letters to all staff at poultry farms and slaughterhouses.
They are asking the workers to contact their GP to arrange a flu jab, as part of a national initiative launched by the Department of Health.
Steve Brown, a public health lead with Devon Primary Care Trust said: "The concern is that there is a small risk of the poultry workers contracting seasonal flu, which could combine with avian flu, making a very infectious strain of flu.
"The risk is extremely small, and there has been no avian flu in this country so far.
"However we want to make sure that we are protecting potentially vulnerable groups of people."
Workers eligible for the free flu jabs are: Poultry Registered Premises (GBPR). Those are farms with over 50 poultry staff.
Establishments with less than 15 employees will encourage individual employees to contact their local GP practice to receive their flu vaccine.
Staff in poultry slaughterhouses who handle both live and dead birds.
State Veterinary Service staff.
Any staff not listed with a GP practice are being asked to register to receive their jab and all staff will receive the necessary consent forms and supporting literature in the language of their choice to ensure they are fully informed.
Mr Brown said: "Some GP practices have limited supplies of vaccine left over from their usual winter flu campaign, and more can be ordered from the Department of Health, so we are confident we will have the supplies required."
Next year it is likely that poultry workers will be included with the usual at risk' groups and will be sent letters by their GP surgeries inviting them for a free flu jab.
There are over 3,000 poultry workers in Devon.
