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Thanks Red Badger. The truth is, 100s of 1000s die of the flu, every year, but since 1918 the population of the Earth has risen six- or sevenfold, and in the US enough people get the vaccination that relatively few (between 5 and 20 percent, per the NIH, with 200K hospitalized and 36K dying, mostly over 65 or very young children) contract flu. Those who do are likely to get it diagnosed, and there are OTC meds, clean water, and warm beds at home, doctors, hospitals, basically the best health care on Earth, so the US death toll is pretty small (by percentage; US is about 5% of the Earth's population, has somewhere between 1 and 2 percent of influenza deaths).

Gina Kolata, author of "Flu" -- her keyword, newest to oldest:

The flu can kill tens of millions of people. In 1918, that's exactly what it did [2018]
How Does the Flu Actually Kill People? [2017]
The Frog Slime Cure for Flu [2017]
Frog snot gives hope for flu cure [2017]
The U.S. Military and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 [2015]
End of common cold could be in sight [2015]
OSCILLOCOCCINUM: Yay or Nay? [2014]
Scientists Discover First 'Virological Penicillin'(Honeysuckle) [2014]
Look Back 250 • Quarantine during 1918 Spanish flu epidemic saves lives [2014]
Enterovirus D68 And Influenza Far More Dangerous Than Ebola In U.S., Say Top Physicians [2014]
The Next Pandemic [2014]
Hospitals Full-Up: The 1918 Influenza Pandemic (Video) [2012]
Diary From The HMNZ Tahiti During The 1918 Pandemic [2012]
Synthetic protein kick-starts the immune system to prevent all strains of the flu [2012]
UCLA scientists find H1N1 flu virus prevalent in animals in Africa [2011]
NIH scientists find earliest known evidence of 1918 influenza pandemic (and more) [2011]
New study re-examines bacterial vaccine studies conducted during 1918 influenza pandemic [2010]
Chronicle of the Devastating Flu Epidemic is Frightening, Readable [2009]
Earlier flu viruses provided some immunity to current H1N1 influenza, study shows [2009]
Soldier's Letters Give First-Hand Look at Spanish Flu Pandemic [2009]
Samples taken from 90-year-old body of Spanish flu victim Sir Mark Sykes [2009]
Survivors of 1918 Flu Pandemic Immune 90 Years Later [2008]
Study Shows Why the Flu Likes Winter [2007]
When killer flu struck [ "Spanish Lady" flu, 1918 ] [2006]
Past may hold clue to future flu fight Secrets may be in blood of 1918 survivors [2006]
The Bird Flu Breakdown - Part 1: Two Children in Vietnam [2006]
Bird flu's evolution, links to 1918 pandemic studied, debated [2005]
Experts Unlock Clues to Spread of 1918 Flu Virus [2005]
Deadly 1918 Epidemic Linked to Bird Flu, Scientists Say [2005]
Scientists: 1918 Killer Spanish Flu Was a Bird Flu [2005]
Saline spray may help control flu [2004]
Deadly Flu Outbreak: Is History Repeating Itself? [23,000 victims in Madagascar] [2002]