California offering $25 gift cards to encourage bird flu testing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has teamed up with California on a unique project aimed at encouraging people to get tested or vaccinated near farms with bird flu. To incentivize participation, some clinics in the state are offering $25 gift cards to individuals who undergo testing for potential bird flu infections or receive the seasonal influenza vaccine.
California is facilitating the distribution of gift cards at these clinics, which are operated by the state’s vendor. The CDC’s Avian Flu Influenza Area Surveillance Testing (AFAST) project is also providing testing services at select sites. It’s important to note that the funding for the gift cards is sourced from California’s bird flu state emergency declaration funds, with CDC solely focusing on testing and not offering any incentives.
Contrary to misinformation circulating on social media, there have been no changes in CDC guidance regarding testing symptomatic farmworkers for bird flu. California officials have affirmed that all suspect cases are still being referred for testing, and there have been no reports of symptomatic workers being discouraged from seeking testing in neighboring states like Nevada and Idaho.
Typically, labs operated by state and local health departments conduct initial testing for bird flu before sending samples to the CDC for confirmation. California is actively monitoring flu cases in the state to determine if any are linked to bird flu. So far, all samples tested have been confirmed as seasonal subtypes H1 or H3, ruling out H5N1 infection.
In conclusion, the collaboration between the CDC and California underscores the importance of proactive testing and vaccination efforts in the face of emerging health threats like bird flu. By offering incentives and maintaining rigorous testing protocols, public health officials are working diligently to safeguard communities from potential outbreaks.
