Poultry workers in England to get flu jabs
A seasonal flu jab will be offered to poultry workers in England. Efforts are aimed at minimising any threat for the two types of viruses to come into close contact.
According to experts, protecting poultry workers against human flu will lower the risk of catching human flu and bird flu at the same time, thereby decreasing the risk that bird flu becomes a major human threat.
Bird flu cannot easily pass from human to human; however, once the virus gains the ability to do so – most likely if bird flu mixes and combines with human flu – it could put millions at risk worldwide.
“This is a prudent and precautionary step to take,” says Dr David Salisbury, Department of Health’s director of immunisation. He stresses that H5N1 is a disease of birds, which posed a small risk only to people who had prolonged contact with infected birds.
Dr Margaret Chan, the new chief of the World Health Organization, warned last week that bird flu remains a global threat.
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