It happened one hundred years ago. An outbreak of influenza became the most severe global pandemic in modern history.
It was caused by a virus that originated from birds and it’s estimated that 500 million people became infected, that was about one-third of the world’s population at the time.
So, could a pandemic like this strike again? This week, Full Frame Host Mike Walter discusses this issue with Dr. Jeremy Brown, veteran Emergency Room physician and author of the book, ‘Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History.‘
The first-ever Ebola vaccine is now available for global use. It means Ebola outbreaks, in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), can now be successfully subdued.
To date, about 250,000 people in the DRC, and surrounding countries, have been vaccinated which could potentially eliminate future Ebola outbreaks.
The most effective way to prevent the flu is with vaccination. The World Health Organization recommends a yearly flu vaccination for those most at risk, like health care workers, children and the elderly. A new version of the vaccine is developed twice a year, as the influenza virus rapidly changes. In the second part of his interview, Dr. Jeremy Brown discusses influenza vaccines.