Dairy Farmworkers Face Challenges in Accessing Essential Health Resources
Many dairy farmworkers are encountering difficulties in obtaining essential health resources like personal protective equipment (PPE), testing, and flu shots necessary to guard against potential bird flu infections. These challenges persist despite attempts to liaise with local and state health departments, as reported by the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC).
The MIRC recently highlighted cases where workers encountered obstacles and delays when seeking tests, vaccines, and PPE. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains that bird flu risk to the general public remains low, human cases have increased, with 70 reported instances in the United States, including one fatality. Notably, 41 of these cases originated in dairy herds, with two dairy farmworkers from Michigan being affected in May.
In January 2025, a group of 20 dairy farmworkers in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula reported flu-like symptoms, as per the MIRC. The illness spread rapidly among them, and the local health department admitted to lacking H5N1 PPE, tests, treatments, or vaccines, as well as the necessary staff and language resources to effectively communicate with the workers.
Anna Hill Galendez, managing attorney at MIRC, stated, “They didn’t have free flu vaccines, and these workers couldn’t afford to pay for flu vaccines.” Seasonal flu vaccines, while not protective against avian influenza, are highly recommended for individuals exposed to potentially infected animals to prevent co-infections that might lead to mutations. The CDC announced a $10 million initiative, including $5 million for seasonal flu shots, to prevent bird flu among farmworkers, as reported by Reuters.
Though the local health department eventually provided paper masks and COVID testing, it took about two weeks for them to access a limited number of avian flu tests. Miscommunication also arose about whether workers could attend a testing site arranged by the department.
“Dairy farmworkers often work 12-hour shifts, six or seven days a week,” Hill Galendez noted, highlighting concerns about missing work for fear of job loss, making it difficult for workers to access resources. An MDHHS spokesperson asserted that they quickly responded to reports of respiratory illnesses and worked with the local health department to provide necessary resources.
Despite the department’s efforts, MIRC reported that it took a month for workers to receive PPE. A farmworker expressed, “The reason for sharing what I’m going to say is that we’re workers on a farm and we’ve been affected by a flu/virus… If the protective equipment had arrived faster, we might not all have gotten sick.”
Milk Testing and Vaccine Access
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) conducted tests on the farm’s cows or milk within two weeks of the first illness reports, with results coming back negative. According to a spokesperson, bulk milk tests at Upper Peninsula dairy farms also returned negative for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
CDC guidelines suggest testing symptomatic individuals exposed to infected animals. However, seasonal flu shots had not been administered to U.P. farmworkers as of the report, with Hill Galendez criticizing the focus on animal health over human health. The MDHHS said flu shots were offered but were apparently not taken up by the workers.
In Barry County, a dairy worker seeking to avoid illness faced similar challenges. She found the local health clinic lacked avian flu vaccines, and language barriers initially hindered communication with the health department. An MDHHS outreach worker later assisted, but she was disappointed to find avian flu vaccines unavailable in the U.S., although they are offered in countries like Finland.
Hill Galendez emphasized the need for mobile testing and flu vaccination clinics, along with proactive PPE distribution to dairy workers, to enhance resource accessibility. The Barry-Eaton County District Health Department mentioned that while they have been able to meet PPE requests, they have not been contacted by farmworkers since June 2024. They also indicated readiness to provide flu testing and medication to symptomatic farmworkers if HPAI is detected on their farms.
The MDHHS is collaborating with several partners on a CDC project aimed at increasing flu vaccine coverage among dairy and poultry workers in various Michigan counties. This includes local events where flu vaccines have been administered, though specific numbers of vaccinated farmworkers were not disclosed.
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