Eligibility for the flu vaccine - Flu vaccine eligibility for poultry workers
Poultry workers aged 18 and over who live in Wales can get a free NHS Wales flu vaccine this autumn/winter.
Employers of poultry workers can give staff the confirmation letter to take to the pharmacy for their vaccine.
Why are poultry workers now eligible for a flu vaccine?
The Welsh Government have taken advice from the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
The aim is to lower the risk of poultry workers getting both human and avian ‘bird’ flu at the same time. This will help prevent the creation of a new type of flu that spreads between people.
Which poultry workers are eligible for a flu vaccine?
In Wales, you may be eligible for a flu vaccine if you work with birds and are involved in catching, culling, cleaning, or processing poultry.
You must be aged 18 or over, live in Wales and meet the following criteria to get a flu vaccine:
1. You work on a site with suspected or confirmed ‘avian’ bird flu and:
- catch or cull birds
- clean enclosed areas
- collect dead birds
2. You regularly work at or visit registered poultry sites with 50 or more birds and:
- routinely visit areas where birds are raised or eggs are produced
- collect or remove manure or litter from where birds are raised or eggs are produced
- Clean down poultry sheds after the birds have been removed
- sort eggs if the sorting areas is part of the production unit
- catch or cull poultry in enclosed areas where they are raised or eggs are produced
3. You work in poultry processing units and:
- catch and handle live birds
- kill and process birds
- clean and disinfect areas and equipment covered in bird droppings
Poultry sites are places where birds that are kept in captivity, like chickens, ducks, and turkeys, are raised. Poultry means all birds kept for producing meat or eggs, for making other products, for restocking wild game, or for breeding.
Which poultry workers are not eligible for the flu vaccine?
The following people are not considered to be at higher risk of exposure to avian ‘bird’ flu viruses:
- People who work near farms with poultry but do not go into the areas where birds are kept or eggs are sorted.
- People who deliver materials to poultry units.
- People who collect or deliver eggs or poultry (live or dead) from poultry units*.
- People who work in poultry processing units and handle dead birds but do not kill or process birds*.
*Unless these people are also doing tasks mentioned in the eligibility section above.
What do I need to do?
To get your vaccine, you need to show your confirmation letter or another form of proof that you are a poultry worker (e.g., payslip or staff I.D. badge) to the community pharmacy.
Will the flu vaccine stop me from getting avian ‘bird’ flu?
No, the flu vaccine will not protect you from bird flu. However, the vaccine will provide protection from human flu. This will lower the risk of you having bird flu and human flu at the same time, which could then cause a new type of flu that spreads between people. The flu vaccine will also help reduce the risk of severe illness if you were to catch both strains at the same time.
Page last reviewed: 1st July 2025