ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently explained its plan to spend $10 million to slow flu viruses in farm workers nationwide.

Nirav Shah, CDC principal deputy director, stated on a call on July 30 that the agency plans to use $5 million with the National Center for Farmworker Health to reach and educate poultry workers on protection from bird flu. 

The CDC will send approximately $4 million to the NCFH, and the remaining $1 million will be used to fund the NIOSH Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health. 

Shah also stated that the CDC would allocate an additional $5 million to seasonal influenza vaccines for livestock workers for the upcoming fall and winter seasons due to the ongoing H5N1 outbreaks.

He added that the CDC wanted to do everything it could to reduce farm workers’ risk of coinfection or reassortment, which would mean having seasonal influenza and H5N1 simultaneously.

“As seasonal respiratory viruses begin to circulate, preventing seasonal influenza in these workers, many of whom are also potentially exposed to H5N1 viruses, may also reduce the risk of new versions of the influenza A virus emerging,” Shah said on the call.

The goal for the initiative, according to Shah and the CDC, is to vaccinate 200,000 livestock workers during the annual flu season.

Shah and the CDC emphasized that this seasonal flu program will not be mandatory for farm workers. The agency wants to work with local and state public health offices to make seasonal vaccines available for interested people.

The total number of human cases of H5N1 in the United States since April 2024 moved up to 13 people with 10 occurring in the state of Colorado. In human cases, symptoms have been mild with H5N1, with most people developing pink eye, according to the CDC.

The CDC also stated that the traditional seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against bird flu. 

“We want to do everything we can to reduce the risk that the virus may change because of coinfection and reassortment,” Shah said. “Widespread seasonal influenza vaccine among those who may be coinfected helps reduce that risk.”

The agency continues to say that the risk of a human being infected with bird flu remains low.