Research Guides: Pandemics, Epidemics, and Vaccines: History, Science, &amp; Controversies: Flu

Resources

Flu: CDC
Information on influence (Flu) from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Influenza: Mayo Clini
Influenza is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs. Influenza is commonly called the flu, but it's not the same as stomach "flu" viruses that cause diarrhea and vomiting.
Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine
Influenza (flu) is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death.

Research & Reference

Estimated number of fatalities due to influenza pandemics in the United States
This statistic shows the estimated number of people who died in the United States during influenza pandemics. During the Spanish flu from 1918 to 1919 around 675,000 people in the U.S. were estimated to have died. More recently, around 12,469 people died from the swine flu or H1N1 pandemic in 2009.
Flu Vaccine: Credo Reference
A Credo Reference landing page on the flu vaccine. This page includes links to reference works, journal articles, and a mind map.
Flu Vaccine: Who Should and Who Should Not Get the Shot
As the days shorten and the weather cools, it's once gain time to start thinking about the influenza or “flu” vaccine. Although many people are distracted by the threat of SARS or West Nile virus, it's important to keep in mind that influenza kills an estimated 20,000 Americans every year. Getting vaccinated for influenza may be one of the best ways to stay healthy this winter.
Influenza: Credo Reference
A Credo Reference landing page on influenza. This page includes links to reference works, journal articles, and a mind map.

Streaming Media

Why Do You Need to Get a Flu Shot Every Year?
All year long, researchers at hospitals around the world collect samples from flu patients and send them to top virology experts with one goal: to design the vaccine for the next flu season. But why do we need a new one every year? Vaccines for diseases like mumps and rubella offer a lifetime of protection with two shots early in life; what’s so special about the flu? Melvin Sanicas explains.
The Truth about Flu Vaccines
No one enjoys getting a flu shot, but most people realize they need to. Vaccination, however, is not only vital for the individual but also for the well-being of friends, coworkers, and loved ones. This program corrects myths and misconceptions concerning influenza vaccines and explains who is most at risk for flu-related complications. Viewers learn about disease progression, courses of treatment, yearly genetic mutation of the virus, WHO surveillance team functions, vaccine shortages and production methods, and high-risk groups targeted for inoculations. Experts include Dr. Kathryn Edwards of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Dr. Neil Silverman, UCLA School of Medicine. Two case studies are included. (26 minutes)
Influenza: Past and Future Threat
Despite being a common disease, the flu is responsible for some of the deadliest pandemics of all time. Explore two important biological aspects of influenza—antigenic drift and antigenic shift—to understand why changes in viruses can have such a huge impact on disease prevalence.

Perspectives

Flu

The fascinating, true story of the world's deadliest disease. In 1918, the Great Flu Epidemic felled the young and healthy virtually overnight. An estimated forty million people died as the epidemic raged. Children were left orphaned and families were devastated. As many American soldiers were killed by the 1918 flu as were killed in battle during World War I. And no area of the globe was safe. Eskimos living in remote outposts in the frozen tundra were sickened and killed by the flu in such numbers that entire villages were wiped out. Scientists have recently rediscovered shards of the flu virus frozen in Alaska and preserved in scraps of tissue in a government warehouse. Gina Kolata, an acclaimed reporter for The New York Times, unravels the mystery of this lethal virus with the high drama of a great adventure story. Delving into the history of the flu and previous epidemics, detailing the science and the latest understanding of this mortal disease, Kolata addresses the prospects for a great epidemic recurring, and, most important, what can be done to prevent it.

Vaccines for Pandemic Influenza

Recent years have seen unprecedented outbreaks of avian influenza A viruses. In particular, highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses have not only resulted in widespread outbreaks in domestic poultry, but have been transmitted to humans, resulting in numerous fatalities. The rapid expansion in their geographic distribution and the possibility that these viruses could acquire the ability to spread from person to person raises the risk that such a virus could cause a global pandemic with high morbidity and mortality. An effective influenza vaccine represents the best approach to prevent and control such an emerging pandemic. However, current influenza vaccines are directed at existing seasonal influenza viruses, which have little or no antigenic relationship to the highly pathogenic H5N1 strains. Concerns about pandemic preparedness have greatly stimulated research activities to develop eff- tive vaccines for pandemic influenza viruses, and to overcome the limitations inh- ent in current approaches to vaccine production and distribution. These limitations include the use of embryonated chicken eggs as the substrate for vaccine prod- tion, which is time-consuming and could involve potential biohazards in growth of new virus strains. Other limitations include the requirement that the current inac- vated influenza vaccines be administered using needles and syringes, requiring trained personnel, which could be a bottleneck when attempting to vaccinate large populations in mass campaigns. In addition, the current inactivated vaccines that are delivered by injection elicit limited protective immunity in the upper respiratory tract where the infection process is initiated.