In 1918, an influenza pandemic killed more people than the First World War. The disease was called the Spanish Lady, among many other names, because nobody had more than a vague idea of what caused it. The Spanish Lady’s descendants are still with us, causing the annual ‘winter flu’ that empties workplaces, filling hospitals and stuffing noses.
Now we know the influenza virus down to the most intimate molecular detail but we’re still locked into an ongoing tussle with it. Science, medicine and our own immune systems can limit the damage it does but every year, influenza is involved in thousands of deaths across Britain.
The story of the influenza virus circulating today is intertwined with the story of how science came to know it and to develop the vaccines that mitigate but remain unable to eradicate it. Both stories are still being written.
About the Speaker:
David Miles is an infectious disease immunologist who has worked mostly on diseases of childhood in Africa and the vaccinations that protect against them. He now lives in London and tutors on the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s online MSc course. His first popular science book, How Vaccines Work, was published in March 2023.
Website & socials:
Twitter: @Variolator
Bluesky: @variolator.bsky.social
