NPPC Urges CDC to Provide H1N1Vaccine For Industry Workers
By Pork news source
| Saturday, October 24, 2009
In a letter sent last week, the National Pork Producers Council urged the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make available to swine workers, swine veterinarians and employees of pork processing plants the vaccine for 2009 Novel H1N1 flu.
The letter recognized the importance of providing the vaccine to children, the elderly and pregnant women but pointed out that, because of their proximity to swine – and the fact that already there has been human-to-swine transmission of the H1N1 virus – pork industry workers also should be provided the vaccine.
NPPC cited the position of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians on the issue: “To protect both human health and the food supply, the AASV strongly advises that all personnel working in the pork-production industry be vaccinated against seasonal influenza annually and against any novel human influenza A viruses as they emerge.” Vaccination enhances protection for personnel while minimizing the likelihood of viral transmission from personnel to pigs.
Read the letter.
Source: NPPC
