I suspect that’s why they carve out a special definition for “flu pandemic”. I think it might be wiser to use different terms in general since the word “pandemic” tends to breed panic when -in fact- anything from a disease that causes itchy ears to a disease that causes your butt to fall off could be classified as a pandemic. So when we talk about a “flu pandemic”, CDC is calling things like the Hong Kong flu or the Spanish flu a “flu pandemic”, but not your usual seasonal flu.
I think you’re correct.
I’m just not happy with the direction of Western society.