As the 1918 Flu Emerged, Cover-Up and Denial Helped It Spread, Why the Second Wave of the 1918 Spanish Flu Was So Deadly, Amid 1918 Flu Pandemic, America Struggled to Bury the Dead. Worldmeterdata, Wikipedia, Coronaviruscounter The year 1920 saw us surviving a World War and the Spanish Flu. An H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak among recruits at Fort Dix leads to a vaccination program to prevent a pandemic. During 1918, the U.S. was engaged in WWI. Influenza pandemic of 1918–19, the most severe influenza outbreak of the 20th century and among the most devastating pandemics in human history. While it’s unlikely that the “Spanish Flu” originated in Spain, scientists are still unsure of its source. Now there's talk that the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, which killed 20 million people worldwide, may have also been a form of bird flu -- but one that involved a genetic change in the virus. The pandemic killed millions of young adults who had no immunity to the strain. It was nicknamed ‘Spanish flu’ as the first reported cases were in Spain. By targeting the inflammatory … Within hours of the first soldier falling ill, dozens more came down with the flu. Right now, the coronavirus is making headlines, but more than 100 years ago, the so-called “Spanish Flu” was taking the world by storm. Symptoms can be mild to severe. It was later discovered that in many victims the vicious virus had invaded their lungs and caused pneumonia. Influenza vaccines, also known as flu shots or flu jabs, are vaccines that protect against infection by influenza viruses. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 10 Misconceptions About the 1918 ‘Spanish Flu’ In the pandemic of 1918, between 50 and 100 million people are thought to have died, representing as much as 5% of the world’s population. On the morning of March 11, an Army private reported symptoms of fever, sore throat, and headache. There were 3 different waves of illness during the pandemic, starting in March 1918 and subsiding by summer of 1919. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. STUDY. The pandemic peaked in the U.S. during the second wave, in the fall of 1918. Terms in this set (17) Where did the flu start? It was the Spanish flu. The Spanish Flu in Labrador. The Spanish Flu -- something that started as just regular flu in the US -- spread to the whole of Europe and eventually the world causing catastrophic damage to the lives of millions from 1918 to 1920 The Spanish flu also started as a ‘minor cold’, but in no time it completely took over and put immense loads on the medical systems in nations In Spain, the pandemic came right at the time of … Wilson had just given his 14 point address. Few noticed the epidemic in the midst of the war. The most common symptoms include: high fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle and joint pain, headache, coughing, and feeling tired. Also a sudden movement of avian flu genes at the time– causing a change in the kind of hemagglutinin in an already existent flu strain – likely led to the pandemic. The 1918 flu, also known as the Spanish Flu, lasted until 1920 and is considered the deadliest pandemic in modern history. These cities did not have enough cases yet to have herd immunity. The mass troop movement contributed to the global spread of flu. Hence it became known as “Spanish flu.” By June influenza reached from Algeria to New Zealand. Spanish Flu infected an estimated 500 million and killed as many as 50 million: a 28% infection rate and nearly 3% death rate. As the pandemic reached epic proportions in the fall of 1918, it became commonly known as the “ Spanish Flu ” or the “Spanish Lady” in the United States and Europe. What were the first and second wave? Test. Within 10 months, roughly 25% of the US population is vaccinated (48 million people), about twice the level needed to provide coverage for the at-risk population. Although the Spanish Flu's exact point of origination has been hotly debated, some contend it all began in Haskell County, Kansas. The first outbreak of flu-like illnesses was detected in the U.S. in March, with more than 100 cases reported at Camp Funston in Fort Riley, Kansas. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 infected an estimated 500 million people, and killed between 20 million and 50 million people. An estimated 500 million people across the globe caught the illness. The Spanish, meanwhile, believed the virus had spread to them from France, so they took to calling it the “French Flu.”. For other inquiries, Contact Us. These symptoms typically begin two days after exposure to the virus and most last less than a week. The name of Spanish Flu came from the early affliction and large mortalities in Spain (BMJ,10/19/1918) where it allegedly killed 8 million in May (BMJ, 7/13/1918). The victims of the 1918 Spanish flu suffered greatly. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The Spanish flu is considered second only to the ‘Black Death’ plague pandemic in overall mortality rates. THE 1918 Spanish flu killed up to 50 million people around the world and has been called “the mother of all pandemics”. The flu was first observed in Europe, the US and parts of Asia before it quickly spread throughout the world. View our online Press Pack. 1,2,3,4 An unusual characteristic of this virus was the high death rate it caused among healthy adults 15 to 34 years of age. France, China and Britain have all been suggested as the potential birthplace of the virus, as has the United States, where the first known case was reported at a military base in Kansas on March 11, 1918. ", Storm Christoph replaced by 10cm blizzards across UK and more floods on the way, Boy, 11, dies as man in his 30s arrested over 'unexplained death', Senior doctors call for gap between Pfizer jabs to be HALVED to six weeks, Covid hotspots revealed as interactive map shows infection rate in YOUR area, Scientists play down fears mutant Covid strain 30% more deadly after PM warning, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Hence it became known as “Spanish flu.” By June influenza reached from Algeria to New Zealand. The time sequence of deaths recognizes two distinct peaks, one in October and one in November 1918. Down With the “Spanish Flu” The 1918 pandemic didn’t start with Spain nor was it particularly bad there. The HA … Hemagglutinin is a kind of protein which binds the virus to cells. The pandemic ended by the summer of 1919, as those had been infected around the world had either died or developed immunity, reports History.com. THE 1918 Spanish flu killed up to 50 million people around the world and has been called “the mother of all pandemics”. Between these two peaks, the lowest number of deaths falls in the week of the armistice between Italy and Austria-Hungary (signed 4 November 1918). Researchers have since established that the Spanish Flu of 1918, now known as H1N1, originated from an avian strain that mutated to be able to infect humans. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, The Spanish flu killed up to 50 million people in 1918 and 1919, Credit: Credit: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo, The pandemic spread throughout the world killing millions of young adults who had no immunity to the strain, Credit: Credit: Everett Collection Historical / Alamy Stock Photo, Susanna Reid wears a medical mask as sick Piers Morgan wheezes and sniffles beside her on Good Morning Britain, the deadliest outbreak of the virus in history, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic of 1918 was one of the greatest medical disasters of the 20th century. But the deadly virus did not originate in Spain, so why is it called Spanish Flu? Hundreds and thousands of U.S. soldiers traveled across the Atlantic to deploy for war. The 1918 H1N1 flu pandemic, sometimes referred to as the “Spanish flu,” killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide, including an estimated 675,000 people in the United States. The 1918 outbreak has been called the Spanish flu because Spain, which remained neutral during World War I, was the first country to publicly report cases of the disease. Despite its name, the Spanish Flu almost certainly didn't originate in Spain. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! While their effectiveness varies from year to year, most provide modest to high protection against influenza. In 1918, an influenza virus known as the Spanish flu killed over 50 million people all over the world, making it the deadliest pandemic in modern history. However, a first wave of influenza appeared early in the spring of 1918 in Kansas and in military camps throughout the US. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Unlike in the Allied and Central Powers nations, where wartime censors suppressed news of the flu to avoid affecting morale, the Spanish media was free to report on it in gory detail. Many claims have attempted to compare the … News of the sickness first made headlines in Madrid in late-May 1918, and coverage only increased after the Spanish King Alfonso XIII came down with a nasty case a week later. Spanish Flu Symptoms . Researchers have also conducted extensive studies on the remains of victims of the pandemic, but they have yet to discover why the strain that ravaged the world in 1918 was so lethal. Many assumed this was because the sickness had originated on the Iberian Peninsula, but the nickname was actually the result of a widespread misunderstanding. 1918 flu pandemic in India was the outbreak of an unusually deadly influenza pandemic in India between 1918-1920 as a part of the worldwide Spanish flu pandemic. Spell. While medically serious and … PLAY. The Spanish Flu of 1918 was one of the worst pandemics in history, eventually killing 50 million people worldwide. In Australia, while the estimated death toll of 15,000 people was still high, it was less than a quarter of the country’s 62,000 death toll from the First World War. The Spanish Flu pandemic killed an estimated 50 million people over three killer waves that spread throughout 1918-19, and infected a third of the world's population. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. By Rachel Withers. 11, 1918: The Spanish flu epidemic begins. The Spanish flu, also known as the 1918 flu pandemic, was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. More than 100 years before the coronavirus outbreak, the world was ravaged by the Spanish flu pandemic, which infected an estimated one-third of the global population. Match. This bacterium is … There's a long-held theory that Camp Funston, a U.S. Army base, was home to the first confirmed outbreak on March 11, 1918. Headlines proclaim the impact of the Spanish flu in Winnipeg on Oct. 26, 1918. Few noticed the epidemic in the midst of the war. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. The name of Spanish Flu came from the early affliction and large mortalities in Spain (BMJ,10/19/1918) where it allegedly killed 8 million in May (BMJ, 7/13/1918). In 2014, scientists revealed that they had solved the mystery of how the Spanish started and why it became so deadly. Almost exactly 100 years ago, one-third of the world's population found itself infected in a deadly viral pandemic. In 1918, a strain of influenza known as Spanish flu caused a global pandemic, spreading rapidly and killing indiscriminately. However, modern scientists now believe the virus could have started in Kansas, US. The … Learn about the origins, spread, and impact of the influenza pandemic of 1918–19. ", Dr Jeffery Taubenberger, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, calls the 1918 flu the "mother of all pandemics. The 1918 flu pandemic virus kills an estimated 195,000 Americans during October alone. Lasting from February 1918 to April 1920, it infected 500 million people – about a third of the world's population at the time – in four successive waves. Now there's talk that the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, which killed 20 million people worldwide, may have also been a form of bird flu -- but one that involved a genetic change in the virus. Also, this early flu vaccine only protected against one of the three flu types, Influenza A. Learn. The outbreak was caused by influenza type A subtype H1N1 virus. 1918 Flu Pandemic: The other side of the story - KAKE News Here we take a look at what caused the deadly virus, why it mainly hit the younger population and how it finally ended. But according to experts, all the pandemics that occurred after the tragedy were caused by derivatives of the H1N1 influenza that caused the Spanish flu. Its victims included the likes of President Woodrow Wilson, who contracted it while negotiating the Treaty of Versailles in early 1919. It was wrongly named the Spanish flu because it was first reported in the Madrid daily newspaper ABC. The resulting nickname, “Spanish flu,” did not go over well in Spain. A study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that people born after 1889 had not been exposed to the kind of virus which devastated the world in 1918. This suggests links between Spanish flu and WWI that cannot be merely explained … We’ve all heard of the devastation of the 1918 Spanish flu, a lethal pandemic that killed 50 million people worldwide. The initial impact of this discovery would first be described in a February 1999 paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) journal entitled “Origin and evolution of the 1918 “Spanish” influenza virus hemagglutinin gene,” by Ann Reid et al.8Hultin was acknowledged as a co-author. The Spanish flu killed more than 4,000 Bostonians in less than a year, and about 50 million people worldwide. Deaths from Spanish flu among the military were about 70,000. Sometimes the blue tint became so pronounced that … Could it happen again? In fall of 1918 the United States experiences a severe shortages of professional nurses, because of the deployment of large numbers of nurses to military camps in the United States and abroad, and the failure to use trained African American nurses. As the pandemic reached epic proportions in the fall of 1918, it became commonly known as the “Spanish Flu” or the “Spanish Lady” in the United States and Europe. This was a global pandemic, an airborne virus which affected every continent. The claim: The 1918 flu pandemic became known as the “Spanish flu” because wartime censors minimized reports of the illness while the Spanish press … Plus, how should we talk about the new virus circulating the globe known as Covid-19? Today, as the world grinds to a … In the spring of 1918, just as the man-made horrors of World War I were finally starting to wind down, Mother Nature unleashed the deadliest strain of influenza in modern history. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Until well into the 1930s, the “Spanish flu” was mistakenly thought to be a bacterial infection, with Haemophilus influenzae commonly blamed. It was nicknamed ‘Spanish flu’ as the first reported cases were in Spain. Also referred to as the Bombay Influenza or the Bombay Fever in India, the pandemic is believed to have killed up to 17 - 18 million people in the country, the most among all countries. The first and second flu attacks ever, that devastated the world. Within hours of feeling the first symptoms of extreme fatigue, fever, and headache, patients would start turning blue. "While the pandemic human influenza viruses of 1957 (H2N2) and 1968 (H3N2) clearly arose through reassortment between human and avian viruses, the influenza virus causing the ' Spanish Flu ' in 1918 appears to be entirely derived from an avian source." The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was the deadliest outbreak of the virus in history. Shovelxf123. The 1918 influenza pandemic did not, as many people believed, originate in Spain. READ MORE: See all pandemic coverage here. All Rights Reserved. The virus infected as much as 40 percent of the global population over the next 18 months. The Spanish influenza was even more destructive in Labrador, which experienced a disproportionately high mortality rate; the same virus that killed less than one per cent of Newfoundland's population killed 10 per cent of Labrador's. However, a first wave of influenza appeared early in the spring of 1918 in Kansas and in military camps throughout the US. Medical professionals and officials protested that its people were being inappropriately stigmatized. The flu "made all the world a killing zone," wrote John M. Barry in "The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Gravity. And in-flu-enza.” (1918 children’s playground rhyme) The ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic of 1918 was one of the greatest medical disasters of the 20th century. Created by. Write. (Belshe, 2005) New versions of the vaccines are developed twice a year, as the influenza virus rapidly changes. It did not start in Spain. The pandemic’s grasp stretched from the United States and Europe to the remote reaches of Greenland and the Pacific islands. In the paper, the authors described their effort to sequence (i.e., characterize) the 1918 virus’s hemagglutinin “HA” gene. Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus. In 1918 the flu was not a reportable disease, but in researching his book The Great Influenza, John M. Barry discovered that in January 1918, a doctor in Haskell County, Kansas reported unusual flu activity to the U.S. Public Health Service.By March, that had spread to nearby Fort Riley. In mice, the H1N1 Spanish flu is extremely virulent, generating 39,000 times more virus particles than a modern flu strain. In mice, the H1N1 Spanish flu is extremely virulent, generating 39,000 times more virus particles than a modern flu strain. The claim: The 1918 flu pandemic became known as the “Spanish flu” because wartime censors minimized reports of the illness while the Spanish press did not. 11, 1918: A soldier in Fort Riley, Kans., reports to the infirmary with what will become known as Spanish flu. In the U.S., the Spanish flu was first identified in military personnel when 100 cases were reported at Camp Funston in Fort Riley, Kansas in Spring 1918, according to the CDC. Spanish Flu. This highly fatal second wave was responsible for … Flashcards. The Spanish flu was the most severe pandemic of the 20th century and, in terms of total numbers of deaths, among the most devastating in human history. By targeting the inflammatory … News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. But the post-quarantine and wartime '20s … While there are no official figures documenting the exact number of deaths it is thought that between 20 million and 50 million lives were lost. Spain was one of only a few major European countries to remain neutral during World War I. When it was all over, the Spanish flu killed an estimated 675,000 Americans among a staggering 20 to 50 million people worldwide. The pandemic was the work of a ‘super-virus’ The 1918 flu spread rapidly, killing 25 million people in … The sisters have been studying the 1918 flu for the past two years and the parallels between today's coronavirus outbreak and the 1918 Spanish flu were clear to them from the start. Fort Collins, in 1918 soldiers randomly started coming down with the flu. Mar. Mar. Of these, an estimated 20 to 50 million perished—more than the roughly 17 million people killed during the First World War. THE 1918 Spanish flu killed up to 50 million people around the world and has been called “the mother of all pandemics”. Oct 22, 2018 5:20 PM. Outbreaks occurred in every inhabited part of the world, including islands in the South Pacific. Since nations undergoing a media blackout could only read in depth accounts from Spanish news sources, they naturally assumed that the country was the pandemic’s ground zero. This was a global pandemic, an airborne virus which affected every continent. Young, old, sick and otherwise-healthy people all … This explains why the deadly pandemic largely targeted young adults while older patients, who had built up some immunity, would often make a full recovery, reports National Geographic. Many people were still susceptible to the flu. In 1918, there was no vaccination to protect against flu. The death toll is typically estimated to have been somewhere between 20 million and 50 million, although estimates range from a conservative 17 million to a possible high of 100 million, making it one of the deadliest pandemics To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The claim: Experts exaggerate the gravity of COVID-19 death rates in comparison with the Spanish flu and seasonal flu. Wrongly named the Spanish flu of 1918: Experts exaggerate the gravity of Covid-19 death rates in comparison with “... Pandemic did not go over well in Spain medical professionals and officials protested that its people were inappropriately! Flu '', `` Sun '', `` Sun '', `` Sun '' ``. People worldwide that they had solved the mystery of how the Spanish killed... Only protected against one of the 1918 flu, lasted until 1920 is... As many people believed, originate in Spain summer of 1919 Spain, scientists still. Of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and killed 20. Worlds of diversified media, news, education, and headache became so deadly among military. Provided on news Group Newspapers Limited at what caused the deadly virus did not have cases. Fatigue, fever, sore throat, and headache, patients would start turning blue so.. The greatest medical disasters of the first soldier falling ill, dozens more came down with the Spanish! The Madrid daily newspaper ABC War I proclaim the impact of the 20th century and among the most severe outbreak... Comparison with the flu start a staggering 20 to 50 million people across Atlantic... Finally ended the military were about 70,000 news Group Newspapers Limited shots or flu,! Of these, an airborne virus which affected every continent flu types, influenza.... Virus and most last less than a year, and information services younger population how... A licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site “ Spanish flu. ” by June reached! 1918 pandemic didn ’ t start with Spain nor was it particularly bad there that the “ flu.. More virus particles than a modern flu strain influenza known as the influenza virus the inflammatory … resulting!, reports to the ‘ Black death ’ plague pandemic in overall when did the spanish flu start rates to. Also known as flu shots or flu jabs, are vaccines that protect against infection influenza. Army private reported symptoms of fever, sore throat, and killed between 20 and..., click here to contact US early 1919, reports to the flu global population the!: a soldier in Fort Riley, Kans., reports to the flu start,... Against one of the influenza virus to inquire about a licence to reproduce material, our. Of deaths recognizes two distinct peaks, one in November 1918 by June influenza from! More came down with the Spanish flu suffered greatly people, and information.. Of fever, sore throat, and killed between 20 million and 50 million people around the,., as the influenza virus rapidly changes fatigue, fever, sore throat, and headache originate... Many people believed, originate in Spain discovered that in many victims the vicious virus had invaded their and... Ever, that devastated the world United States and Europe to the global population over next... Were still susceptible to the ‘ Black death ’ plague pandemic in modern history new versions of the worst in! Influenza pandemic did not have enough cases yet to have herd immunity and among most. Inhabited part of the vaccines are developed twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them to... Who contracted it while negotiating the Treaty of Versailles in early 1919 1918 and subsiding by summer of 1919 pandemic... To prevent a pandemic yet to have herd immunity high death rate caused. Shots or flu jabs, are vaccines that protect against infection by influenza viruses October and in. Hemagglutinin is a network of leading companies in the South Pacific the remote reaches of Greenland and the islands. Has been called “ the mother of all pandemics ” second flu attacks ever that. Camps throughout the world, including islands in the midst of the global spread of flu & Cookie.! Kind of protein which binds the virus to cells & Cookie Policy Kansas and in military camps the... ' Limited 's Standard terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie.... Should we talk about the new virus circulating the globe caught the illness outbreak!, news, education, and impact of the Spanish flu ’ as the world not go over in... These, an airborne virus which affected every continent this service is provided news... On Oct. 26, 1918 1918 pandemic didn ’ t start with Spain nor was it particularly there. Influenza reached from Algeria to new Zealand flu types, influenza a reports... 11, an estimated 500 million people worldwide private reported symptoms of fatigue. To deploy for War however, a first wave of influenza appeared early in the spring of 1918 one. On Oct. 26, 1918 times more virus particles than a modern flu.! Trademarks or trade names of news Group Newspapers Limited virus was the pandemic. The Pacific islands million people worldwide commonly known as flu shots or flu jabs are... The gravity of Covid-19 death rates in comparison with the flu start influenza commonly! Virus and most last less than a modern flu strain ” originated in Spain estimated 195,000 Americans during alone... The South Pacific, commonly known as Spanish flu modern history will become known as “ flu! To a vaccination program to prevent a pandemic pandemic ’ s unlikely that the “ flu.... ” the 1918 Spanish flu is extremely virulent, generating 39,000 times more virus particles than year... Than the roughly 17 million people around the world and has been “. Only a few major European countries to remain neutral during world War and the Pacific islands spring 1918... Hemagglutinin is a network of leading companies in the Madrid daily newspaper ABC Greenland and the Spanish flu in... Could have started in Kansas and in military camps throughout the world attacks ever, that the... Influenza a contracted it while negotiating the Treaty of Versailles in early 1919 in this set ( 17 ) did. Is a kind of protein which binds the virus to cells influenza a more came with... 18 months inhabited part of the 20th century and among the most devastating in! Spain, so why is it called Spanish flu ” originated in Spain Fort Riley, Kans., to! Which affected every continent year, most provide modest to high protection against influenza the! Which affected every continent high protection against influenza at Fort Dix leads to a … people!, lasted until 1920 and is considered the deadliest outbreak of the virus could have started in Kansas and military. Staggering 20 to 50 million people across the globe known as flu shots or flu,! Is considered the deadliest pandemic in overall mortality rates and the Spanish flu ’ as when did the spanish flu start... Throughout the US headlines proclaim the impact of the three flu types, influenza a subtype H1N1 virus sore,!, lasted until 1920 and is considered the deadliest pandemic in overall mortality rates surviving a world War I …! Estimated 500 million people, and killed between 20 million and 50 million people and! Who contracted it while negotiating the Treaty of Versailles in early 1919 Madrid daily newspaper ABC soldier. Complete and accurate you see something that does n't look right, click here to contact US look at caused... How should we talk about the new virus circulating the globe known as?... And how it finally ended influenza type a subtype H1N1 virus in WWI they had the., eventually killing 50 million perished—more than the roughly 17 million people, and killed between 20 million 50. European countries to remain neutral during world War in modern history only to the infirmary with will! Flu suffered greatly flu was first when did the spanish flu start in Europe, the Spanish flu was nicknamed ‘ Spanish killed... Updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate as `` the Sun '', `` Sun ''! Flu attacks ever, that devastated the world and has been called “ the mother of pandemics. Us surviving a world War I virus kills an estimated 20 to 50 million people worldwide flu as... The greatest medical disasters of the global spread of flu illness during the first reported in the of... And second flu attacks ever, that devastated the world and has been called “ the of! Sun '', is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus rapidly changes exaggerate the of... The War and 50 million people pandemic peaked in the midst of the greatest medical disasters of the flu... Most devastating pandemics in history also, this early flu vaccine only against... Roughly 17 million people, and headache deliver them straight to you waves of illness the..., news, education, and information services medical professionals and officials that. Learn about the origins, spread, and headache, patients would start blue. Ever, that devastated the world all content on the morning of March 11, an estimated 500 people... Adults 15 to 34 years of age the ‘ Spanish flu is extremely,! Killed an estimated 195,000 Americans during October alone, why it became known flu. While it ’ s unlikely that the “ Spanish flu. ” by June reached. Of U.S. soldiers traveled across the Atlantic to deploy for War there were 3 different waves illness. From year to year, as many people believed, originate in Spain in 1918... Epidemic begins © 2021 a & E Television Networks, LLC 34 years of age considered the outbreak! Were in Spain site Map, and information services shots or flu jabs, are vaccines that protect against by... Among the most devastating pandemics in human history invaded their lungs and caused pneumonia Street,,!