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New flu immunisation programme launched for poultry workers18 January 2007 The Department of Health has introduced a programme of free seasonal flu vaccinations for poultry workers. People who work closely with poultry are at the most risk of catching bird flu from infected birds. By protecting poultry workers against the human flu virus, seasonal flu vaccinations will prevent them from having human and bird flu viruses at the same time - a situation that could lead to a flu pandemic. What is bird flu?Bird flu is also known as avian flu, where "avian" refers to birds and "flu" is the common name for influenza. Bird flu is influenza that normally infects birds. This includes wild birds such as ducks and migratory birds, and poultry such as chickens. How do people catch bird flu?The bird flu virus can occasionally jump between species and infect people who have been in close contact with infected birds or with surfaces infected with bird faeces. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently published figures showing that, as of 12 January 2007, 265 people have caught bird flu and 159 of these have died. So far, people have been infected with bird flu in the following countries: Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. Can bird flu be passed between people?So far there's no firm evidence that bird flu can be passed from person to person in a sustained and efficient way. There are instances where this has happened, to a very limited degree, between close family members, but the virus has not spread beyond that. The WHO says this is not a cause for alarm. What is a flu pandemic?A flu pandemic is where the flu virus passes rapidly from person to person, infecting people in every country. Experts are concerned about the prospect of the bird flu virus changing into a form that could be easily passed between humans, as this could cause a pandemic. So far this has not happened with bird flu because the bird flu virus can't pass reliably from person to person. Why give these seasonal flu vaccinations?People who work closely with poultry are at the most risk of catching bird flu. If a person catches human flu at the same time as bird flu, the human and bird flu viruses could mix in their body and create a new flu virus. A new virus could be very serious and infectious because people would have no immunity to it, so it could spread rapidly and cause a pandemic. The seasonal vaccination will help prevent the possible spread of seasonal flu in people, especially during the winter months. Will the flu jab protect me against bird flu?No. A new supply of vaccine is made each year to protect against the strains of flu that are expected to cause problems in the coming winter. It does not cover the strain that causes bird flu (H5N1). Related Bupa health factsheetsFurther information
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