Exactly 100 years later, we're taking a look back at the 1918 flu pandemic and examining why it matters today.
One hundred years ago this year, a strain of influenza, or flu, hit the globe, leaving more than 500 million people afflicted by the flu worldwide.1 Without vaccines or antiviral medications, the 1918 flu pandemic, also known as the Spanish Flu, proved to be one of the most severe outbreaks in history. Now, a century later, medical and scientific advances have been made to treat the illness and prevent flu pandemics.
A second wave of the flu outbreak in the fall of 1918 prompted New York City’s Board of Health to add flu to the list of reportable diseases nationwide and required those with flu to be isolated at home or in the hospital. To make matters worse, the nursing shortage at the time meant that there weren't enough healthcare providers to care for those with the flu. This period was dubbed the second wave as its spread was seemingly at an all-time high, reaching all parts of the globe.
There was a distinct third wave of the flu that occurred during the winter of 1918 and carried on into the spring of 1919. It wasn’t as damaging as the second wave, as by that point, many diagnosed with the flu had either passed away or become immune. However, it didn’t taper off until summer of that year. In the winter of 1918, public health officials cautioned against coughing and sneezing and began issuing educational materials to curb the spread of the disease. This began a century-long journey to where we are today, with a number of organizations promoting the prevention and treatment of the flu.
Looking for an alternative version of the above infographic?
View the infographic as text.
The 1918 flu pandemic left more than 500 million people afflicted worldwide. It wasn’t until the 1940s that the first flu vaccine was developed. In 1962, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched its first flu tracking system, which has evolved into the tracking system used today. A resurgence of H1N1 was recorded in the 1970s. A century later, now in 2018, we are gearing up for what the next flu season will bring.
In 1940, the University of Michigan encouraged scientists to develop a flu vaccine with the support of the U.S. Army, due to the flu’s heavy impact on the military. Two years later, a two-component vaccine was developed to cover both influenza A and B strains. It was licensed in 1945, but found ineffective two years later when that year’s strain changed.5 It was during that same year that public health officials called for action and began regularly surveying the various flu viruses in an effort to stay ahead of future flu strains.
In the 1970s, an outbreak of a unique strain of flu first appeared – today known as swine flu or H1N1.Though it’s a strain that normally infects pigs, it can also infect humans, particularly if humans come into contact with infected pigs. It presented a unique challenge, since vaccines introduced up to this point were designed against human strains, not swine strains. There were also concerns about the strains coming into contact and creating a new virus – something the world would experience in 2009, which you’ll read about shortly.
The most recent development in flu occurred in 2017 when the CDC issued updated and simplified guidelines meant to encourage healthy habits, including covering coughs and sneezes, staying home when sick, and practicing good handwashing hygiene.
Now, as researchers continue to predict the upcoming year’s most common circulating flu strains, new discoveries are being made to keep flu vaccinations as effective as possible. For example, when it's sunny and mild here in the United States, places in the Southern Hemisphere, like Australia, are currently tackling the colds and flu of winter. Researchers can look at flu seasons in the Southern Hemisphere and use it to make predictions about the flu season in the United States. That's because, historically, flu seasons in the United States tend to mirror those in Australia. As of now, the 2018-2019 Australian flu season isn’t so bad, and officials with the World Health Organization are calling it “very mild.”7 This year, flu vaccines are prepped to combat the anticipated strain of flu. When they’re administered annually, the flu vaccine gives your body a chance to build antibodies so that it can ward off harmful germs.
1 CDC: History of 1918 Flu Pandemic. Last updated March 21, 2018. Accessed August 20, 2018.
2 CDC: Influenza Milestones. Last updated March 22, 2018. Accessed August 20, 2018.
3 NPR: 1918 Killer Flu Reconstructed. Last updated October 5, 2005. Accessed September 4, 2018.
4 CDC: What You Should Know About Flu Antiviral Drugs. Last updated June 20, 2018. Accessed September 4, 2018.
5 CDC: Historic Timeline. Last updated May 3, 2018. Accessed September 6, 2018.
6 CDC: H1N1 Flu. Last updated June 24, 2014. Accessed September 4, 2018.
7 AARP: What Australia’s Flu Season Tells Us About Our Own. Last updated August 14, 2018. Accessed August 20, 2018.