Micheal Clements, NAFB News Service

The National Pork Board is reminding producers to add flu vaccinations to their fall priority list. Pork producers are working through the on-farm tasks ahead of winter, including a focus on ventilation and rodent control. However, the Pork Checkoff says farm managers should also prioritize flu vaccinations for everyone working on the farm. Heather Fowler, DVM, director of producer and public health for the Pork Checkoff, says vaccinating farm employees “is the best thing producers can do to protect their families, co-workers and pigs from the flu.” A seasonal flu vaccination is a public health recommendation and part of the One Health approach to protect people, pigs and the global environment. Equally important, Fowler says farms need to have sick-leave policies in place that encourage workers to stay home if they are suffering from flu-like respiratory symptoms. Find more tips and recommendations to how to best protect your animals and employees from the flu at www.pork.org.