The ‘Influenza’ Vaccine Used during the Samoan Pandemic of 1918
In 1918, a crude influenza vaccine made from chemically inactivated, mixed cultures of respiratory bacteria was widely used prior to the understanding that influenza was caused by a virus. Such vaccines contained no viral material and probably consisted largely of bacterial endotoxin. The Australian...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/3/1/17 |
| _version_ | 1798003899107377152 |
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| author | G. Dennis Shanks |
| author_facet | G. Dennis Shanks |
| author_sort | G. Dennis Shanks |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In 1918, a crude influenza vaccine made from chemically inactivated, mixed cultures of respiratory bacteria was widely used prior to the understanding that influenza was caused by a virus. Such vaccines contained no viral material and probably consisted largely of bacterial endotoxin. The Australian military used such a vaccine on Samoa in December 1918 and thought it was valuable. Post hoc analyses suggest that the mixed respiratory bacteria vaccine may have actually been of some benefit, but the mechanism of such protection is unknown. Although such a crude vaccine would not be considered in a modern setting, the rapid use of problematic vaccines still remains a risk when new influenza types suddenly appear, as in 1976 and 2009. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:16:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9347ca2b06fb4f5f9e6fe2b7bc51674e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2414-6366 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:16:21Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
| spelling | doaj.art-9347ca2b06fb4f5f9e6fe2b7bc51674e2022-12-22T04:24:19ZengMDPI AGTropical Medicine and Infectious Disease2414-63662018-02-01311710.3390/tropicalmed3010017tropicalmed3010017The ‘Influenza’ Vaccine Used during the Samoan Pandemic of 1918G. Dennis Shanks0Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Enoggera, QLD 4051, AustraliaIn 1918, a crude influenza vaccine made from chemically inactivated, mixed cultures of respiratory bacteria was widely used prior to the understanding that influenza was caused by a virus. Such vaccines contained no viral material and probably consisted largely of bacterial endotoxin. The Australian military used such a vaccine on Samoa in December 1918 and thought it was valuable. Post hoc analyses suggest that the mixed respiratory bacteria vaccine may have actually been of some benefit, but the mechanism of such protection is unknown. Although such a crude vaccine would not be considered in a modern setting, the rapid use of problematic vaccines still remains a risk when new influenza types suddenly appear, as in 1976 and 2009.http://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/3/1/17influenza1918 pandemicvaccineendotoxin |
| spellingShingle | G. Dennis Shanks The ‘Influenza’ Vaccine Used during the Samoan Pandemic of 1918 Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease influenza 1918 pandemic vaccine endotoxin |
| title | The ‘Influenza’ Vaccine Used during the Samoan Pandemic of 1918 |
| title_full | The ‘Influenza’ Vaccine Used during the Samoan Pandemic of 1918 |
| title_fullStr | The ‘Influenza’ Vaccine Used during the Samoan Pandemic of 1918 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The ‘Influenza’ Vaccine Used during the Samoan Pandemic of 1918 |
| title_short | The ‘Influenza’ Vaccine Used during the Samoan Pandemic of 1918 |
| title_sort | influenza vaccine used during the samoan pandemic of 1918 |
| topic | influenza 1918 pandemic vaccine endotoxin |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/3/1/17 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gdennisshanks theinfluenzavaccineusedduringthesamoanpandemicof1918 AT gdennisshanks influenzavaccineusedduringthesamoanpandemicof1918 |