Federal health officials are encouraging farm workers who tend livestock and poultry to get vaccinated for seasonal influenza to help prevent a bird flu mutation that might spark a pandemic in people.
The U-S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it will devote up to 5-million dollars to pay for the vaccinations, and that it will rely on states to implement the initiative.
There are 14 known human infections from bird flu that resulted from contact with infected dairy cattle and poultry in the U-S.
In Iowa, 13 dairy herds have been infected, however, no new infections have been reported in the state in the past month.
