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Why Did The Spanish Flu Fail

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When the Spanish Flu appeared in Chicago, peaking at 2000 deaths a day, health commissioner John Dill Robertson decided to make some drastic decisions. First, all large gatherings were banned, sporting events; political meetings and banquets were all cancelled. Schools were shut down and parks were closed. Theaters and cabarets were closed as well. Weddings were postponed and funerals were cancelled. Churches were kept open because they were considered essential for morale, but pastors were to keep their services shorter. People who were going to work were suggested to walk to work instead of taking cramped public transportation. Public spitting was outlawed and citizens were asked to wear gauze facemasks when they were in public. By Oct. 21, Chicago received 100,000 flu vaccines. Over the next weeks, flu deaths dropped rapidly and the illness was …show more content…

The Board of Health Superintendent, Dr. Albert A. Campbell placed "keep out" signs on the lawns of citizens that had been infected. When some of the homeowners removed the signs, he threatened them with a fine. Campbell had doctors give talks about the dangers of influenza before movies. He also asked schools to send home children who had a cold, but "that request was shamefully abused"." (illinoistimes.com) Campbell also threatened to quarantine the homes of the infected. Later, he said anyone with "colds or flu symptoms had to stay away from the public."(illinoistimes.com) On Oct. 15, Springfield's entertainment venues were closed to halt the rising local flu cases. By mid-October residents were told to report anyone they knew who might have pneumonia. Visits to pneumonia patients were prohibited and funerals were only allowed if the body was properly embalmed or if the body was enclosed in a tight casket. On Oct. 15, Springfield was quarantined by the health director. On Nov. 8, Springfield's quarantine was lifted.

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The government agencies response to the outbreak of influenza proved to be useless, with ignorance, failure to act, and disregard to those in need, as displayed in documents one, three, and six. Document one was written by a anonymous medical doctor in the United States, 1918. As stated in a letter written to a friend, hoping to inform them about the serious outbreak of influenza, the change influenza had caused increased medical need, as well as doubled the amount of paperwork. He continues in a meloncholy, rushed, tone, that “For several days there were no coffins and the bodies piled up something fierce” (line 8). Therefore, the governents response to the outbreak proved to be for merely business issues, as the paperwork was treated better

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East St. Louis Race Riot on July 2, 1917 On Sunday evening, July 1, a black Ford, filled with whites, drives into the “black quarters” of East St. Louis. The armed whites fire shots into African American homes. The second time this Ford passes through their neighborhood several black people, now armed, fire back. The police are called and unwittingly drive to the neighborhood in a black unmarked Ford.

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In Rio de Janeiro, the newspapers were only concerned with the spread of the flu (Doc 4). The historical context that this article took place in South America shows the negligence of medical centers. The flu had been known to the world as well as the alarming rate of the spread of it, yet there were no medicals safety precautions being taken place. By time the flu and reached South America, medical facilities had the chance to make safety precautions as to stop the spreading of the virus. The same angry reaction occured in British Samoa as the newspapers blamed the British government for neglecting to issue isolation when influenza had spread to Samoa (Doc

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“We were in the center of a dying city.” That was the thought of millions of yellow fever victims during the devastating outbreak of 1793. This disaster is the focus of the nonfiction text “An American Plague.” The text is about a young woman, Catherine LeMaige, who lost her life to yellow fever, although her doctors did all they could. After recounting the symptoms, they concluded Catherine had contracted yellow fever, and was one of the earliest victims.

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these men are usually the least affected people in sicknesses like this. However during this time men were always together, in the pub and at work so they were much more likely to receive the influenza, than those who stayed at home by themselves not risking the deadly virus. Geoffrey Rice was one of the main historians of the 1918 Influenza pandemic, he interviewed many survivors of the epidemic and published an informative book on the epidemic called Black November. Rice 's interviews were often very private and saddening.

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Even after recent multistate closing of Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants, there is no fear that the e. Coli infection could strike locals in the Birmingham area. According the the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of Nov. 12 there have been 50 individual cases reported of illness caused by the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26. The cases included 33 from Washington State and 19 from Oregon, the common factor is all those infected ate at the popular Chipotle restaurant days before. Due to this restaurants in Washington and Oregon were closed to investigate the possible causes of the illnesses.

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Two flag draped caskets rested in Lincoln Park containing Eugene Binger and Fred E. Painter’s bodies. Theirs was the first public tribute to those who had died in the war. The other bodies of men who gave their lives had been returned, but their funerals keep private because of the quarantine imposed during the influenza outbreak. A funeral procession left Lincoln Park and disbanded at Eighth and Pine. Included in the procession were the municipal band, colors and guard, military escort, firing squad and bugler, police and fire departments, clergy, city council, patriotic organization, caisson and pallbearers, mourners and members of deceased soldiers’ families.

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When the soldiers returned back home after fighting the war in Europe, they brought the Spanish Flu with them (Bailey, Dickin). The Spanish Flu was a deadly disease which was a cause of great tension in Canada , as it killed 21 million people, 50 000 of which were Canadian (Bailey, Dickin). In the same way, this violent strain of flu wiped out whole villages’ altogether as well as forced more people to wear masks out of fear of contamination (Bailey, Dickin). Consequently, the spreading of the Spanish Flu led to uneasiness in

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The influenza pandemic of 1918, otherwise known as the “Spanish Flu’ was responsible for the deaths of 20 to 40 million individuals, resulting in a higher mortality than World War 1. More specifically, 675,000 Americans died, with the virus infecting close to 25% of the American population. As a result, studies have found the American lifespan during 1918-1919 had lowered 10 years due to the Spanish Flu.^1 The location of origin for the Spanish Flu is widely debated.

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The flu of 1918 was one of the most intense pandemics the world has experienced, killing three million people just in Europe and millions more across the globe. The world was not prepared for how many lives would be taken and how intense the symptoms were, taking nearly 20 million lives. The effects on soldiers during world war I had similar effects but the conditions these soldiers were living in worsened the symptoms as well as the spread of influenza. Being isolated during the pandemic did not help anyone with the casualties that the world was about to endure. Nothing could stop the spread and it left a great impact on those serving in World War I. Soldiers suffered greatly, the military took a major toll, and people all around the world suffered immensely with the symptoms of the flu.

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The Liberty Loan parade in Philadelphia was in full swing on the day of September 28th, 1918, with marching bands blaring loud music, brightly-colored floats following the bands, and complete with biplanes soaring overhead. The purpose of the parade was to help the government and the Allied troops during World War 2, but the real effect was much worse. Unbeknownst to the public, the large crowd of people watching the parade was one of the reasons that the Spanish flu spread like wildfire in Philadelphia and eventually America, with thousands of people getting infected from the celebration. The influenza of 1918 was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, and it’s relevant to know how it spread, the full impacts of the flu, and

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Influenza was largely ignored across the globe. There had been no way to tell that the Spanish Lady had not yet finished her dance. In four months, influenza was ready to make a second round, far more deadly that the first. Influenza’s

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“ .. strongly advocated legislation that would prevent the use of common cups and utensils and would ban public coughing and sneezing.” (Paragraph ten). Citizens so became obsessed with hygiene, hands had to be washed before every meal, keeping their body in the best shape possible in fear of getting the flu. Even with all the precautions that were taken they later had to fully realize how dangerous the disease actually was. “ The flu was a greater leveler of men; it recognized neither social order nor economic

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This new outbreak proved that the American treatments and vaccinations were effective. The death toll was reasonably lower than the Spanish Influenza outbreak, which showed improvement in lifestyle for people around the world and in America. Cities such as Philadelphia and San Francisco that had at first refused to acknowledge the severity of the outbreak now closed schools, churches, and other public gathering places. (Stock) The U.S. government took initiative and displayed their power by mandating closings of schools, and creating a cleaner society for years to

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Vaccination is a key factor in keeping communities safe from harmful diseases, especially those that can spread easily. However, pediatric immunization policy can be debated from an ethical perspective because it concerns the role of the government and families in maintaining the health of children. I will argue that the immunization requirements with exemptions for school entrance in Washington state are ethically required because they balance the role of the government in public health and personal autonomy in the most minimally intrusive way possible. Hendrix points out that pediatric vaccination, or the policies surrounding vaccination requirements for children, can “span several public health domains, including those of policymakers,

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