1998/07/01 by Lone Simonsen, Matthew Clarke, Lawrence B. Schonberger +3 · 1 voice · 2 citations
Mathematics · Medicine · #COVID-19 epidemiological studies #Influenza Virus Research Studies #Viral Infections and Vectors
paper · doi:10.1086/515616
openalex publication_date 1998/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Almost all deaths related to current influenza epidemics occur among the elderly. However, mortality was greatest among the young during the 1918-1919 pandemic. This study compared the age distribution of influenza-related deaths in the United States during this century's three influenza A pandemics with that of the following epidemics. Half of influenza-related deaths during the 1968-1969 influenza A (H3N2) pandemic and large proportions of influenza-related deaths during the 1957-1958 influenza A (H2N2) and the 1918-1919 influenza A (H1N1) pandemics occurred among persons <65 years old. However, this group accounted for decrementally smaller proportions of deaths during the first decade following each pandemic. A model suggested that this mortality pattern may be explained by selective acquisition of protection against fatal illness among younger persons. The large proportion of influenza-related deaths during each pandemic and the following decade among persons <65 years old should be considered in planning for pandemics.