Case Study

1976, Swine Flu Vaccination Campaign Too Much, Too Soon

In 1976 a new, potentially serious flu virus emerged. To avoid the staggering numbers of casualties experienced during the 1918 pandemic (550,000 in the U.S.), health authorities swiftly launched a national immunization campaign. However, the pandemic never materialized, and the flu shots were subsequently blamed for a wave of Guillain-Barré syndrome cases. These factors overshadowed public health efforts and negatively affected people's attitudes about vaccine safety.

Reference

Kolata G. Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux; 1999.