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In a hurry to prevent a supposed pandemic due to the death of one soldier, the hastily-concocted vaccine killed over 500 people and left at least that number permanently impaired due to Guillian-Barre syndrome. Many, many had reactions resembling the flu to the vaccine itself.

So, a true pandemic can last over a year-but that does not mean there will be a year of continued infection. Small pockets may exist and burn through a local unexposed population then die down. The feared second wave may or may not cause an increase in illness and possibly death.

For those who fear a repeat of the Spanish Flu that killed millions in 1918, they should remember the circumstances of a world war, war-torn and displaced populations and poor war-time living conditions exacerbated the deaths. Even in the United States, the pandemic affected primarily populous cities with poor hygiene, unsanitary water supplies and over-crowding and a misunderstanding of the nature of disease pathogens. The Hong Kong Flu in 1968 killed about a million people worldwide, primarily in overcrowded, poor-sanitation conditions. Since that time, anti-viral medications have been developed to fight the virus itself and better antibiotics handle the attendant bacterial infections that are the primary cause of death among flu victims.

There is little to fear from this round of the influenza virus. It likely is nearing its peak in the United States-with little serious illness. We can pretty well guess it'll be back sometime next fall or winter. Will it be more dangerous? Probably not-and if it is, we have the resources to win the battle.

Learn more about this author, Linda Sunkle-Pierucki.
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