Vaccine info

As we reach the one-year mark of COVID-19 in the United States, Dr. Heather Fowler, Director of Producer and Public Health with the National Pork Board, has information for pork producers about ways to continue to protect their farm employees and families.

“Limiting visitors and access to swine barns, so really reducing exposure or interaction with people that don't necessarily need to be on the farm, wash their hands often, and also remind their employees to stay home when sick. As it relates to COVID-19 specifically we know to keep our distance, at least six feet, and where face coverings when we're unable to distance, especially at work.”

 

Fowler emphasizes how important it is to keep our people healthy, which allows them to provide the best care of the pigs on their farms. According to Fowler, it is also still important for pork producers to get their flu shot too.

“With so much emphasis and rightfully so on COVID-19, we sometimes forget that there are other disease risks out there and other respiratory disease risks. So, we are right in the middle of flu season, so for our farmers who haven't yet received their flu vaccine, we highly encourage them to get that vaccine as soon as possible, as long as we're in the season, to make sure that we prevent any unnecessary disease as well, and again when that COVID-19 vaccine comes available or their chance to get vaccinated for that to go ahead and get vaccinated for that as well.”

 

A new resource, created by the National Pork Board, highlights “Eight Things Producers Should know about the COVID-19 Vaccine.” It includes information about the current available vaccines, slowing the spread, understanding immunity if you have had COVID-19, and more. The fact sheet was created using producer feedback, and answers questions producers have at the farm-level, according to Fowler.

“It's a one pager available in PDF, available for download, full of hyperlinks where they can click and navigate again to those CDC websites and FDA and other federal partner public health organization websites to learn more about this disease and how they can prevent it in themselves, especially as it relates to that vaccine.”

 

Fowler says the information is available in both English and Spanish on the Pork Checkoff website at go.pork.org/COVID19.