AUSTIN, Minn. — Dairy and poultry farm owners and farm workers in Mower County have the opportunity to get their yearly influenza vaccinations on their farm through an effort from Mower County Community Health and M Health Fairview's Minnesota Immunization Networking Initiative. The on-farm vaccines are free, and health insurance is not required.
ADVERTISEMENT "Reducing barriers for people who want the vaccine is what this is all about," Pam Kellogg, Mower County Health and Human Services public health manager, said in a news release. Farm workers and others who work with livestock are the most at risk of being exposed to H5N1, or highly pathogenic avian influenza. This year, there have been 27 reported cases of H5-strain flu infections in humans in the U.
S. (though none were found in Minnesota). The flu shots provided on-farm through the county do not specifically protect against H5N1, but vaccination can help prevent a situation where a person is simultaneously infected with a seasonal flu strain and H5N1.
When two different viruses infect the same cell, they could exchange genetic material and potentially form a new strain of the virus. "Combining the easy transmission of a typical seasonal flu with H5N1’s high severity potentially could lead to a major public health crisis, which is why efforts are underway to minimize the chances of such a virus developing through co-infection and genetic mixing," the news release states. Those interested in receiving on-farm flu sho.
