Much has changed since the influenza pandemic of 1918, yet our responses to COVID-19 must still rely on many of the century-old lessons.
In March 1997, a team of pathologists published a report concerning the discovery of genetic material from the influenza of 1918.
The surprise pandemic of 1918 shook Americans’ confidence in the medical establishment that had previously found vaccines for other lethal diseases.
It was the worst epidemic in American history, killing over 600,000 — until it disappeared as mysteriously as it had begun.
Early 20th-century scientists struggled to understand the source of the deadly 1918 influenza epidemic and how best to prevent it.
After the the worldwide 1918 influenza pandemic, there was one key question: Could it happen again?
Watch a video interview with Dr. Alfred Crosby, author of Epidemic and Peace 1918: America's Forgotten Pandemic.
