Vom geduldigen Ausharren zur allumfassenden Prävention

The 1918 flu pandemic lasted until 1920 and, depending on the discourse you read, resulted in the deaths of 25 to 100 million people. Subsequent pandemics had a far smaller mortality rate. Public awareness of a new, severe pandemic has increased exponentially since 1997. Billions have been spent to counter a catastrophe that has never emerged. Beyond the history of influenza that is already known, this book’s main focus lies on updating and remembering our knowledge of influenza since the end of the 1918 flu pandemic. Its primary thesis is that the perception of influenza and influenza pandemics is predisposed by discursive processes. These again are influenced by the memory of past influenza pandemics. Furthermore, these discursive processes have an impact on science, society and its awareness of the risk of influenza breaking out. This study offers the reader the opportunity to rethink how the general public perceives the risks posed by influenza and influenza pandemics, and how those risks are communicated to them.