CDC Pushes Flu Shot For Kansas Amid Bird Flu Fears

The reasoning actually favors epidemiologists but hopefully will keep our rural neighbors from being so sneeze-y this holiday season . . . Check-it . . . 

The CDC is trying to mitigate some of those complications this season by offering 100,000 free flu vaccines to farm workers in 12 states, including Kansas, with the hope of reducing the burden on fragile rural health care systems.

The urgency this year comes on the heels of a global outbreak in H5N1 bird flu among livestock.

Bird flu has been reported among dairy cattle herds in at least a dozen states this year, including in Kansas.

Dr. Lisette Durand, chief veterinary officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said this spread of disease in agriculture was the main push to offer free vaccines for seasonal influenza.

“Having the flu vaccine will help prevent the likelihood of getting infected with seasonal flu. This way, if a farm worker does get sick with flu-like symptoms, that will help them distinguish seasonal flu from bird flu cases,” Durand said.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

The CDC wants more Kansas farm workers to get their flu shots this season

Some rural Kansas counties are offering free flu vaccines targeting farm workers amid an ongoing nationwide bird flu outbreak among dairy cattle and poultry.

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