[SunkenCiv]

It also puts AIDS into perspective, for that matter, or West Nile Virus. West Nile killed something like 54 people in Michigan when it peaked a few years back -- and that wasn't the daily, weekly, or monthly total, it was the entire total. Still a lot of people, obviously, but the 1918 flu epidemic made all of those look like a bad fart.

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Flu: The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic by Gina Kolata

[kellynch]

FABULOUS book.

For some reason, Philadelphia was harder hit than any other American city. My mother's family is from Philadelphia, and several relatives died in that pandemic.

What is also strange about the 1918 flu is that younger people were hit hardest.

As for flu shots, they only work on the specific type of flu that the experts think is coming. You can still get other types of viruses, including other strains of influenza.

One thing to remember is that flu should not be taken lightly. Thousands of people still die from flu every year. Senior citizens and young children are considered to be high-risk, but people with respiratory problems (such as asthma) should get the shot too. I am high risk (I'm asthmatic) and I get a flu shot every year. I have not gotten a major flu since I started getting the shots.