Poultry workers and bird handlers across the UK are being urged to take up free seasonal flu vaccines this winter, as health agencies move to protect those most exposed to avian influenza.
The initiative is not about vaccinating against bird flu directly, but about lowering the chances of a dangerous overlap. Seasonal flu vaccination reduces the risk of someone being infected with both seasonal influenza and avian flu at the same time.
If that happened, the viruses could mix — a process known as reassortment — and potentially create a new strain capable of spreading more easily between humans.
A spokesperson for Public Health Scotland said: “This winter, the free flu vaccine is being offered to certain poultry workers and bird handlers to protect them from getting ill with the flu virus.”
Eligibility covers people working at or regularly visiting poultry units and processing plants, inspection staff, those involved in culling or cleaning at confirmed outbreak sites, anyone handling sick birds where avian influenza is suspected, and individuals collecting bird carcasses, including seabirds, in areas of concern.
In Scotland, Public Health Scotland has launched a campaign to encourage uptake, supported by a digital toolkit for employers and industry groups. Officials are asking users to share the campaign with the hashtag #FluHitsHarder to help monitor its reach.
Wales has taken similar steps, expanding eligibility in 2024 to include poultry workers and avian flu outbreak response staff. From October 2025, the scheme will cover workers aged 16 and over.
In Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency is offering free flu vaccines to poultry farmers, processors, cullers and those handling bird carcasses at suspected outbreak sites.
England has not introduced a formal nationwide programme specifically for poultry workers, but the Department of Health has confirmed that seasonal flu vaccination is being offered as a precaution to those working in close contact with poultry, following advice from the Health and Safety Executive.
It comes as bird flu continues to pose a serious threat to the UK poultry sector. A major outbreak was confirmed on 28 September 2025 at a commercial broiler breeding farm near Wetheral, Cumberland, where 43,000 birds had to be culled.
Defra has since imposed a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone, with movement restrictions on poultry, captive birds and related products.
