100 years later, why don’t we commemorate the victims and heroes of ‘Spanish flu’?

[AussieNeil]

Worldwide, the pneumonic influenza pandemic of 1918–19 killed an estimated 50-100 million people – at least three times all of the deaths caused by the First World War. Influenza vaccinations were first made available in the 1930's: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influ...

Full article by Peter Hobbins, a member of the Quarantine Project, conducted at the University of Sydney over 2013–16 : theconversation.com/100-yea...

In recent news, "getting the flu shot each year is associated with better survival outcomes for heart failure (HF) patients, a large, Danish cohort study found.":

medpagetoday.com/cardiology...

Article photo: Women were at the forefront of managing the influenza pandemic.

Neil

[Jm954 Administrator]

So sad and cruel that many young men who survived the war came home and then died of flu

[Mcpill in reply to Jm954]

In an odd twist of fate, my Great Uncle was initially too old for WW I. By the Guidelines of the Selective Service Act of 1917 all males aged 21 to 30 were required to register. Congress amended the law in Aug 1918 to include males 18- 45, and in September, 1918 he registered as required, and was later drafted. While in training he was exposed to the flu which he brought home with him on leave. He died a week after the war ended...would never even have made it overseas, much less seen combat. I remember visiting the cemetery in his small PA town as a child. So many huge gravestones with complete families dying within days of each.

We are so fortunate to have the flu vaccinations available today- even if they are not perfect.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to Mcpill]

What a needless tragedy. Thank you for sharing your family history and personal experiences of seeing gravestone evidence. How we forget to our cost...

[Jm954 Administrator in reply to Mcpill]

That is so sad McPill, similar gravestones can also be seen in the UK.

[lexie]

My great-grandmother died from it in Toronto. They were a young couple with 2 small daughters who had moved to Toronto from Scotland a few years earlier. There they had a son who also died from that flu within weeks of his mother.

My grandmother lived into her 90's and I know she never seemed to get sick no matter what was going around, so must have had a great immune system.

[Jm954 Administrator in reply to lexie]

so much sadness

[DriedSeaweed]

I am amazed we have not had more major outbreaks with so much international travel and mingling.

Maybe it is science fiction still but I always imagine a rogue scientist designing a bug to confront overpopulation. I think it was in a Tom Clancy book I read in my teens.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to DriedSeaweed]

Bioengineering the DNA of known pathogens capable of causing pandemics is continually becoming easier. The main challenge is weaponising the result. Remember the anthrax attacks?

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/200...

[DriedSeaweed]

Oh yeah! I was like 15 when that happened. Feels like ages ago

I did not realize it was by someone from my home state.

[pati23]

thank you

i can never understand those that argue against vaccinations!

Pat

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to pati23]

Having personally walked through a town's cemetery going back over 100 years and seeing the (now senseless and unnecessary with public vaccinations) loss of young lives - mainly children, but also mothers dying in pregnancy - perhaps when trying to replace a lost child, I can only agree. We complain about a sore arm for a few days, or worry at the temporary distress of children/grandchildren, forgetting that before we had vaccinations, there was far more suffering, death and heartache. We no longer see the devastating impact of illnesses inoculated against and hence becoming rare.

Neil

[DriedSeaweed]

A map should be created of unvaccinated populations in the US. Just noticed this in news:

"Washington declares public health emergency as measles hits anti-vaccination community" -The Hill

"Clark County Public Health is continuing its measles outbreak investigation. Since Jan. 1, we have identified 23 confirmed cases and seven suspect cases. No additional confirmed cases have been identified since yesterday’s update.

Here are the details of the confirmed cases:

• Age

• 1 to 10 years: 18 cases

• 11 to 18 years: four cases

• 19 to 29 years: one case

• Immunization status

• Unverified: three cases

• Unimmunized: 20 cases

•Hospitalization: one case"

clark.wa.gov/public-health/...

Last week I spent a few days in Vancouver, WA before driving up to Vancouver, BC. ..