H5N1 outbreaks are increasing in number throughout the United States, putting farmworkers at increased risk of exposure to H5N1. The government response to H5N1 has been poor, and many farms have not shared information about potential outbreaks. A recent study found that H5N1 cases are most likely undercounted, reflecting that the combination of a lack of effective public health approaches to contain H5N1 and the growing number of outbreaks puts farmworkers at greater risk of exposure to the virus.

Despite the heightened risk of exposure for people working on dairy and poultry farms and the availability of an H5N1 vaccine, the CDC said recently that they will not vaccinate farmworkers with the H5N1 vaccine at present. This puts farmworkers at an increased and fully unnecessary risk of harm from H5N1, a virus known to have a historically high fatality rate. It also reflects that the CDC is actively choosing against a vaccination effort that would protect the people at highest risk of exposure and would reduce the potential of community spread. As an example, Finland is already planning on vaccinating workers at increased risk of exposure.

Farmworkers are at higher risk for severe health outcomes from H5N1 through systemic failures and often lack access to healthcare and paid leave. Many farmworkers have high-risk conditions or may be immunocompromised, putting them at further risk for severe outcomes from potential H5N1 infections. Recent reports show that many farmworkers do not have access to PPE to help protect them from H5N1 exposure at work. Not providing H5N1 vaccines to impacted workers is a major equity issue.

The CDC recently announced an effort to provide the seasonal flu vaccine to farmworkers in order to reduce the chance of H5N1 and the flu combining and becoming more easy to spread from person-to-person. This campaign is insufficient and confusing, as the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect farmworkers from H5N1, and it shows that the CDC could similarly be vaccinating farmworkers for H5N1 and are choosing not to.

Through this letter, you can tell CDC officials to provide the H5N1 vaccine to farmworkers.