In 1976, an outbreak of the swine flu, influenza A virus subtype H1N1 at Fort Dix, New Jersey caused one death, hospitalized 13, and led to a mass immunization program. After the program began, the vaccine was associated with an increase in reports of Guillain-Barré Syndrome. The program was ended after approximately 25% of the population of the United States had been administered the vaccine.
About 1976 swine flu outbreak in brief
In 1976, an outbreak of the swine flu, influenza A virus subtype H1N1 at Fort Dix, New Jersey caused one death, hospitalized 13, and led to a mass immunization program. After the program began, the vaccine was associated with an increase in reports of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which can cause paralysis, respiratory arrest, and death. The program was ended after approximately 25% of the population of the United States had been administered the vaccine. Three vaccine manufacturers announced that they ceased production of the vaccine after the outbreak. Later that month, a researcher in the Food and Drug Administration’s Bureau of Biologics was dismissed for insubordination and went public with findings that cast doubt on the vaccine’s safety. In early August, an illness in Philadelphia was thought to be an atypical pneumonia that is now called Legionnaires’ disease.
It was later found to be swine influenza A related to the 1918 flu pandemic, which killed 50 to 100 million people worldwide. In July, Congress passed the first legislation to take action on indemnification for vaccine manufacturers. Four days later, both houses of Congress became the first to pass the indemnification legislation. In August, the legislation was passed by both houses and became the law of the state of New Jersey. In September, the law was signed into law, making the vaccine available to all U.S. citizens. In October, the bill was passed into law by the House of Representatives, and the Senate passed it by the Senate, as well. In November, the measure passed the Senate and was signed by the Speaker of the House.
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This page is based on the article 1976 swine flu outbreak published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 10, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
