The 1976 Swine Flu Debacle
Sulumits Retsambew : In the history of the United States, it is not the first time the country is experiencing an epidemic of swine flu. The first incident of H1N1 infection in the United States was registered on 27 January 1976, when there was a small outbreak of mild respiratory disease was carried out at the military base at Fort Dix in New Jersey.
According to the throat cultures obtained from the sick soldiers, patients were infected with swine as the flu virus, which have been known to humans since 1930. It was believed that the virus is also responsible for the worst flu pandemic in the United States in 1918-1919 that led to the deaths of half a million Americans.
For many, the discovery of 1976 was a debacle of victory, because, after only 10 weeks of application, immunization efforts came to a premature and that the program has led to complications that are associated plans.
After the death of Private David Lewis, after participating in a five-mile March of the night before his death, Dr. David Sense and his colleagues attribute the death of strains of swine, such as the flu virus . After advice from specialists across the United States, Dr. Sencer asked President Gerald Ford for the national launch of mass vaccination.
President Ford and the U.S. Congress heard the call and applied in October of $ 137 million of National Immunization Program. However, after only a few days of application, it was reported that the vaccine used in the program designed for patients subject to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that leads to temporary paralysis, but it could be risky.
Before his untimely death in December 1976, the vaccine was administered to more than 40 million Americans representing nearly 25% of the population. Of the more than 500 people suffering from Guillain-Barré syndrome after vaccination, 25 people died. Accordingly, the federal government of millions worth of damages to the families of victims.
Meanwhile, the epidemic, some experts predicted, it could affect 50 to 60 million Americans during this period never happened. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were only 200 confirmed cases and one death.
It is understandable that the current outbreak of H1N1 has been a source of concern for the public, recalling the 1976 case. Serves as a lesson for the government and health officials who need to take a decision on the swine flu in the days and weeks to come.
Dr. David Sense, who is retired and lives in Atlanta, said that the debacle of 1976 has brought good things as bad. The belief that the epidemic of influenza 1918-19 was caused by swine fever virus and partly contributed to the failure in 1976.
Although studies have shown that the cause of the outbreak of avian flu does not help the anxiety prevailing among the public. The epidemic of 1918-19 led to the deaths of 500,000 people in the United States and more than 50 million around the world.
In Mexico, where the swine flu epidemic of 2009, its origin, 22 persons have died since the last outbreak. Government officials have been under fire for how they handled the situation. However, with the mystery of the threat, Dr. Peter Katona, who is an authority on infectious diseases at UCLA, believes that individuals must understand the challenges posed by the problem.
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