HEALTH IMPACT ASSUMPTIONS
It’s important to know the health impact of past pandemics, as this is what the future pandemic plan is based on for the future.
• In 1918, 500,000 Americans died of what was called the “Spanish Flu”.
• Slightly less than 70,000 deaths occurred in the pandemics of 1958 and
1968.
• Children had the highest rates of illness, though not necessary mortality
• Geographical spread in each pandemic was rapid and virtually all
communities experienced outbreaks.
• In summary, in known pandemics about 30% of people were affected, and of
those, about 50% obtained health care.
Perhaps, even with the above assumptions, the Director of the World Health Organization stated it best when she said: “We don’t know what we don’t know.” It’s impossible to say how long any future pandemic would last, what the mortality figures would look like, or how many people would be affected.
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