It's that time of year again, everyone rolling up their sleeves to get a flu shot. This episode dives into the history of the struggles pinning down the causative agent of flu and the journey to the vaccine!

·       Intro 0:12

·       In this episode 0:17

·       The history of the flu: 1892 3:10

·       Rabies and dead virus 10:52

·       A Sickness in the Serum, Part 2 14:31

·       Vaccines and trials 19:13

·       Pig influenza 23:21

·       Influenza: a filterable agent we can’t see 27:10

·       The trials of 1942 33:18

·       PS: 1918 influenza 39:13

·       Finding the 1918 influenza vaccine 39:54

·       Thanks for listening 47:54

Disclosures: Brown reports no relevant financial disclosures.

We’d love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to Dr. Brown at rheuminationspodcast@healio.com. Follow us on Twitter @HRheuminations @AdamJBrownMD @HealioRheum.

References:

Hicks DJ, et al. Clin Exp Immunol. 2012;doi:10.1111/j.1365-2249.2012.04592.x.

Rosenau MJ. Experiments Upon Volunteers to Determine the Cause and Mode of Spread of Influenza, Boston, November and December, 1918. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/f/flu/3750flu.0016.573. Published February 1921. Accessed December 6, 2023.

Rosenau MJ, et al. JAMA. 1925;doi:10.1001/jama.1925.02670070040019.

Taubenberger JK, et al. Antivir Ther. 2007;12(4 Pt B):581-91.

Tobin J. The first flu shot. https://heritage.umich.edu/stories/the-first-flu-shot/. Accessed December 6, 2023.