Bloomberg
In 2009, a new strain of H1N1 influenza emerged. It did not cause anywhere near the disruption that Covid-19 has, and for good reason.
. . . "Swine flu has a history that makes health authorities pay special heed. In 1918, a variant of H1N1 influenza caused a global pandemic that is estimated to have killed as many as 50 million people, or 2.7% of the world’s population. After tests found H1N1 in two soldiers during a flu outbreak at the Fort Dix army base in New Jersey in 1976, the U.S. government jumped into action, with President Gerald Ford announcing a plan to vaccinate “every man, woman, and child in the United States.” That turned into something of a debacle, though, as the virus didn’t seem to spread beyond Fort Dix and the hastily assembled vaccine killed about 30 people."
. . .
"By the time the vaccines became widely available in November, though, H1N1 was already on the decline. By January, many countries were canceling their vaccine orders, and a German physician and former Social Democratic politician was leading a campaign lambasting the WHO for declaring a “fake” pandemic to gin up business for pharmaceutical manufacturers." . . .
Biden has experience dealing with pandemics as this 2009 cartoon proves:
 |
| Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News |
No comments:
Post a Comment