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Authors:
   JoAnn O’Toole, RN, BSN
   Lauren Robertson, BA, MPT
   Susan Walters Schmid, PhD

Flu Summary

2018 was the 100th anniversary of one of the largest and most devastating flu pandemics in modern history in which more people died than in all of World War I. We offer this course as a review of the current and historical impact of influenza, seasonal and pandemic. It includes epidemiology, virus types and subtypes, and how influenza viruses drift and shift. We describe the immense impact the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic, including lessons learned.

We also discuss these topics:

• diagnosis and treatment,
• types of vaccines used in recent years (with a link to current vaccine information),
• the goal of vaccination, and
• information about research into a universal vaccine.