Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory InvestigationsUniversity of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
History
Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
Influenza; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919
3. Total number of persons
inoculated No inoculations 3,091
One inoculation 232
Two inoculations 249
Three inoculations 479
Four inoculations 1,210
——————
Total 2,170
4. Cases influenza developed
after No inoculations 705 55%
One inoculation 111 48%
Two inoculations 91 36%
Three inoculations 129 27%
Four inoculations 239 19%
——————
Total 1,275
5. Cases influenza pneumonia 40%
developed after No inoculations 283 of (4
One inoculation 75 67%
Two inoculations 59 64%
Three inoculations 51 42%
Four inoculations 69 28%
——————
Total 537
6. Deaths from influenza and “flu 5.6%
Pneumonia” after No inoculations 40 of (4
One inoculation 5 4.5%
Two inoculations 0
Three inoculations 0
Four inoculations 3 4.3%
——————
Total 48
Charts I and III show a decrease in the incidence of influenza in direct
proportion to the number of inoculations given. This finding would have
been very important had vaccination been completed before the epidemic
appeared. There is, however, no convincing evidence in either of these
charts that the vaccine cut down the relative number of pneumonias, or
decreased the death rate to any appreciable extent. Chart I also shows
the interesting fact that influenza occurred slightly more often among
those who had one inoculation than among those who were not vaccinated
at all.
Chart II would indicate that influenza occurred much less frequently in
the vaccinated than in the control group, but a closer analysis brings
out the contradictory finding that influenza occurred at the same rate
in the group of 634 persons who had only 1 dose that it did in the group
of 1,271 who completed the course.
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