Public health services in southeast Minnesota urge farms to take advantage of free seasonal flu shots

AUSTIN, Minn. — Dairy and poultry farmers in three southeast Minnesota counties can get free seasonal flu shots on their farm thanks to a new public health initiative to remove vaccination barriers. The initiative is made possible through a $5 million plan announced this summer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide seasonal flu shots this fall to about 200,000 livestock workers in states impacted the most by the bird flu outbreak.

ADVERTISEMENT Poultry and dairy farmers are at the greatest risk of being simultaneously exposed to seasonal flu and H5N1. In its Nov. 1 update on confirmed human cases of H5N1 so far this year, the CDC listed 41 cases in six states.

Last month, Mower County’s Health & Human Services mailed information to area dairy and poultry farm workers about its flu shot efforts with Fairview’s Minnesota Immunization Networking Initiative. “Reducing barriers for people who want the vaccine is what this is all about,” said Pam Kellogg, public health manager for Mower County’s Health and Human Services. Farms with too many employees to transport, or are unable to step away from production schedules, can work with the county’s community health team to bring the vaccination service to them.

Darr Ehmke, registered nurse with Mower County Health and Human Services, said no farms have yet to take up the offer. But as we enter the flu season, he said there's still plenty of time to take advantage of the opportunity. "We'd like to ha.