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January 2020 January 2020

BERE REGIS DORSET TRADING STANDARDS
SURGERY NEWS
Dorset Council Trading Standards Service check and approve
businesses so you don’t have to.
Flu vaccinations For more information visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk or

We still have supplies of both flu call 08454 040506.
vaccinations. If you are eligible To report or seek advice about problems you have
but unsure whether you should experienced when dealing with a trader call 08454 040506.
have a flu vaccination it may be
worth taking a look at this article
from BBC South Today https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-dorset- Wellbeing support for Dorset farmers
50715136/vaccine-flu-victim-recovering-from-three-month-coma. This is an
extreme case but is what having the flu vaccination could prevent One area of work that people don’t normally associate with trading standards is
animal health and welfare.

Stay healthy in winter – advice issued by Age UK We have a small team of officers who are responsible for farm animal welfare and
disease control. There is a lot of legislation aimed at licensing the movement of
As we get older, changes to our bodies mean that cold weather and winter bugs farmed animals with the aim of controlling some of the nasty ‘exotic’ diseases that
affect us more than they used to. threaten the farming industry such as foot & mouth, swine fever and avian
influenza.

Our immune system doesn’t function as well as we age The team is also responsible for ensuring the welfare of the animals whilst on the
farm, being transported, or being sold at market. These welfare standards are very
Our immune system helps us fight off germs and infections.
simple – the animal should be fed a sufficient diet, have clean water to drink,
Colds, flu and pneumonia are all more common in winter. It doesn’t have to be somewhere dry to lie down and to be treated if they are ill.
a cold winter for seasonal viruses such as flu, colds, and norovirus to spread. Last
year over 60% of cases of flu that needed hospital treatment were in people over The vast majority of farmers easily meet or exceed these standards, but
65. So it's a good idea to take extra steps to avoid a nasty illness. occasionally we come across cases where the farmer is not doing enough. This
can sometimes be down to financial difficulties, but more often than not it is

because the farmer has mental health problems. Some farmers can become very
What you can do socially isolated and with a busy farm to run they find it difficult to find the time to
 Get your free flu jab – even if you're fighting fit go to their doctors or talk with others.
There are some excellent organisations who
Everyone aged 65 and over is entitled to a free flu jab from the doctor or
pharmacist. The vaccines for this age group has an agent in which helps to boost can offer help and support to farmers who
your immune system’s response to the vaccine. Even if you’re fit and healthy, it’s are struggling. One example is a charity
a great idea to get the jab to called Farm Community Network (FCN).
help protect yourself and others. They have a team of volunteers in Dorset,
many of who are farmers themselves, so
If you care for someone aged 65 they really do understand the problems
or over, or are a frontline care faced in the farming industry.
worker, you should think about
vaccinating yourself against the If you or someone you know could benefit from talking with a sympathetic person
flu too. who understands farmers and rural life then call the Farm Community Network on
03000 111999.

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