Swine flu, 1976

Swine flu is big news these days. But those of us that were around for our bicentennial may remember that there was a swine flu outbreak back then. Salon.com has a great story about this 1976 swine flu epidemic that never really was.

In January of 1976 a young soldier from Fort Dix, NJ died of a swine flu. The ensuing uncertainty, politics, and panic (officials were likening this flu to the 1918 worldwide pandemic) lead to 40 million people being immunized with a swine flu vaccine in the fall of 1976. A few weeks after the mass immunizations began, reports appeared that some people had developed Guillain-Barré syndrome, a paralyzing neuromuscular disorder, causing the program to come to a halt.

The ironic thing is that science had already shown that this particular swine flu was not very virulent. What did we learn from this 1976 fiasco? While it is good to be vigilant and prepare for the worst, we shouldn't overreact.

—Michael Hanson, senior scientist

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Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention