Influenza

Influenza, The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History by Dr. Jeremy Brown, Touchstone 2018 

 When what became known as the Great Flu Pandemic spread one hundred years ago in 1918, it killed between 50 and 100 million people, or what Dr. Brown quotes as 5% of the population, and it was more than 10X the total number of US combat deaths in that era's World War I.  And now, only 100 years later, despite ubiquitous warnings and flu shot availability in 3 different strengths, it still kills over 30,000 per year in the US.

And yet, says Dr. Brown, this mysterious disease is still uncontrollable.  From the terrible history of its worldwide effects, to the mounting price tags for pharmaceuticals' efforts - and the insurance bills - the questions remain - Should I get a flu shot?  How long can I wait?  And who's going to pay?

As a cancer survivor who in October dutifully sought out a local source, got the shot, then got sick in January, the whole thing is feeling scammish.  Well-intentioned perhaps, but still somewhat over-done and under-executed.  Thank goodness the polio epidemic we grew up with didn't turn out like this!

But Dr. Brown, an emergency room doctor who has seen it all, focuses on this disease history and our current countermeasures, many of which are too few, too late, and somewhat unpredictable.  His points are alarming:

*  the negligible value of the flu vaccine. 

*  the latest and most promising research in virology

*  infamous and controversial flu outbreaks - the history is longer and virulent than we snifflers think!

*  Big Pharma's attempt to legitimize antivirals - sounds suspicious, as well we should be. Example:  Tamiflu.  Works?  Doesn't work?  Smells nice?  Hey, folks, what's the deal here?  $$$?

*  Super-viruses.  Author Brown questions whether the public is safe when researchers are tinkering with flu strains and making them even deadlier! 

Finally, Dr. Brown believes that if a virus of 1918's caliber emerged today, we would not be much better prepared.