Swine Flu is Not New

Swine flu had an outbreak in 1918 and about 20 million people died. Public health authorities still remembered the 1918 tragedy, which is why they acted so quickly in 1976. Unfortunately this resulted in disastrous consequences because the vaccine had not had time to be sufficiently tested.In 1976 some soldiers contracted the swine flu virus, and the government began a program for vaccinations that required everyone in the country to be vaccinated. Even President Gerald Ford received a vaccination. Unfortunately,some neurological problems developed due to the vaccines and that caused a devastating and fatal illness. With the realization that the vaccinations may be more harmful than the virus itself, the program was stopped.

The United States and World Health Organization is now working less aggressively than the 1976 fiasco, and instead asking the public to defer travel that is non-essential and take precautionary measures. Currently efforts are being made to grow a new vaccine for this flu, but the current vaccines that we have now will not protect against the mosaic virus that makes up Swine flu.