History of Flu Epidemics

Over the decades, the flu has become easier and easier to deal with. In the past, the flu has claimed millions of lives due to poor sanitary conditions and medical resources.

Influenza, or The Flu for short, is a general name given to any one of many virusses that cause a serious throat / lung infection. Each year, a certain strain becomes prevalent and strikes. When this happens in one country or area it is called an epidemic; when it happens around the world it is called a pandemic.

One of the worst flu strains in recent history happened in the winter of 1918 - 1919. Named the "Spanish Flu", this strain went around the world and killed somewhere between 20 million and 50 million people. In the US, 500,000 people died. At the time, flu transmissions were not understood and there were no vaccines. More people died in this flu season than had died in all of World War I.

Luckily, when the Asian Flu began making its rounds in 1957 - 1958, doctors had developed vaccines and actively began fighting it and publicizing flu information. While 70,000 people died in the US, many felt this was but a drop in the bucket compared to how many could have died.

The next large outbreak to hit was in 1968, with the Hong Kong flu. Again, doctors actively fought this with vaccines, information and prevention. Only around 34,000 people died in the US as a result.

Even with our greater population in modern times, around 36,000 people die each year from the flu in the US.

We have been very lucky to not have any large outbreaks since 1968. This can in part be attributed by active monitoring and work by the CDC and the World Health Organization. Also, most people are now much more aware of how the flu is transmitted, and take steps to keep themselves and those around them safe.

In Hawaii...

The first missionary census in 1831-1832 counted 130,313 people. A substantial portion of the decline can be attributed to a series of epidemics beginning after contact, including measles, influenza, diarrhea, and whooping cough.

By the 1850’s one fifth of the Hawaiian population was gone.

Year	Total Population	Native Hawaiian Population
1778	110,000-1,000,000	110,000-1,000,000
1831-32	130,313	Na
1853	73,137	71,019
1872	56,897	51,531
1890	89,990	40,622
1900	154,001	39,656
1920	255,881	41,750
1940	422,770	64,310
1960	632,772	102,403
1980	964,691	115,500
2000	1,211,537	239,655

The introduction of venereal diseases was a factor behind declining crude birth rates. The first accurate census conducted in the Islands revealead a population of 80,641 in 1849. The native Hawaiian or Kanaka Maoli population reached its lowest point in 1900 when the U.S. census revealed only 39,656 full or part Hawaiians.

The Flu Vaccine - History and Information

A vaccine for the flu virus was discovered in 1944, due to the work of Dr. Salk and Dr. Francis. Each year, the CDC guesses which strains will be most common and puts out a vaccine for those strains. Each winter the most common strains are slightly different, a bit mutated from previous years.

The efficiency rate of the vaccine is around 80%, so it is important to still follow other health precautions and stay healthy so that, if you do get exposed to an influenza virus, you have the best chance of fighting it off.

The flu season runs from October to March each year. Most people come down with the flu in January or February.

A few people develop allergic reactions to the flu vaccine, and some young children might develop a fever. Always talk with your doctor about any reactions, but most pass quickly.

The flu vaccine has been found to have other beneficial side effects, in addition to fighting off the flu. Elderly people with the vaccine have a much lower rate in general of death or hospitalization during the winter. Those who have had heart attacks have a 67% less chance of having a second one.

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