In response to outbreaks of bird flu on dairy and poultry farms, the U.S. government has announced plans to cover the cost of flu shots for farmworkers this year. The initiative aims to mitigate the risk of bird flu evolving into a more dangerous form.
So far, 13 workers have contracted mild infections from infected animals, sparking concerns about potential coinfections with seasonal flu. Health officials fear that simultaneous infections could lead to gene swapping between viruses, a process known as reassortment. This could potentially enhance the transmissibility of bird flu among humans.
