1976 Swine Flu Outbreak

The 1976 Swine Flu outbreak caused widespread panic and many casualties in its wake. Permanent disability was the major result of what was thought to be to solution to the pandemic, vaccines. In early 1976, the swine flu or H1N1 caused severe respiratory illness in 13 soldiers and 1 death on the military base in Fort Dix, New Jersey (Gaydos, Top, Hodder, & Russell, 2006). This influenza outbreak resembled the fright and virulence of the 1918 Spanish Flu, which cause epidemiologist great concern. By month’s end the virus infected over 230 soldiers fueling the hysteria. At that time, it was assumed that new recruits were the source of the infection and all entering the Fort Dix based were placed on isolation for a total of six weeks (Gaydos, Top, Hodder, & Russell, 2006).

Swine Influenza was first identified in the United States in 1974, two years prior to the Fort Dix outbreak (Drotman, 2006, p.41).

Just like its namesake, Swine Influenza indeed was first discovered as a respiratory illness in pigs caused by influenza A (CDC.gov, 2016). However, variance in one or more genes in the virus, caused the mutation A/New Jersey/76, increasing the zoonotic effects of the virus (CDC.gov, 2016). The potential for humans to become infected now exist briefly perplexing immunologist and epidemiologist in its early stages. Transmission was linked to close respiratory contact with infected swine and or inhaling dust or hay infected with droplets of the

virus.
This outbreak could not have occurred in a better place, a military base. The U.S Army has an active Acute Respiratory Disease Surveillance Program, there is a wealth of epidemiological data available with which to analyze its properties (Lessler, Cummings, Fishman, Vora, & Burke, 2007, p. 756). This program employs many prestigious immunologist, epidemiologist, and biologist to combat respiratory disease on a large scale with far more resources and advanced technologies than state or local health departments. Respiratory infections account for a substantial burden on hospitals and outpatient clinics each year, making vaccination imperative (Fowlkes et al., 2013). The President during the outbreak, Gerald Ford, embarked on a nationwide campaign to vaccinate “every man, woman, and child in the United States” to combat this deadly virus (Kreston, 2013).
The mass vaccination initiative started by President Ford promised protection from this deadly virus and gave those vaccinated sound sleep knowing they “were protected”. President Ford even posed for pictures of himself receiving the vaccine which charged public support for vaccination. Within 10 months over 42 million Americans were vaccinated for Swine Flu, but the outbreak showed no signs of slowing (Kreston, 2013). This is where the problems started? Due to the urgency to stop the outbreak, “live virus” or attenuated virus instead of inactivated or “killed virus” were used to create vaccines. “Live virus” vaccines contain a version of a living virus or microbe that is weakened so it will not cause disease. Live vaccines have the potential to do more than just protect, they have the potential to mutate and cause the hosts’ immune system to produce virulent disease (Vaccines.gov, 2013). As the “live” component of the vaccine evolves, so does the virulence and destruction of the hosts’ immune system. The mass push to vaccinate lead the very young, old, and immunocompromised out in droves to be vaccinated, this proved deadlier and more debilitating that the outbreak itself. Within months over four-hundred and fifty vaccinated individuals contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome (Kreston, 2013).
The particular cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome is unknown. The syndrome is a result of the body's immune system attacking parts of the peripheral nervous system eventually causing paralysis. The syndrome causes the peripheral nerves' myelin sheaths to become degraded, and the nerves cannot transmit signals efficiently (National Institute of Health, 2016). The muscles begin to lose their ability to respond to the brain's commands, commands that must be carried through the nerve network (National Institute of Health, 2016). The vaccine triggered a serious immune response in the over four-hundred and fifty individuals vaccinated. The mass vaccination program was blasted and touted as a national failure. Public backlash was swift and merciless, causing the director of the CDC to lose his job, and some even contributing President Ford’s reelection loss to the scandal surrounding the vaccine debacle (Kreston, 2013).
Vaccines have done great good for this world, providing protection against disease that are unheard of now in this day and age. However, like every medicine or so called cure, they too have adverse side effects. Immunologist continue to work to limit the likelihood of adverse effects of vaccines and increase their effectiveness.