In the early 20th century, the leading cause of death was infectious disease. Epidemics erupted with little warning, seemingly out of the blue. When the “Great Influenza” struck in 1918, it killed thousands of people a week in American cities and spread like wildfire around the globe. My great aunt, still a teenager, and living in the San Francisco area, was one of its estimated 50 to 100 million victims worldwide.

During my second year of graduate school, I moved in with my sister’s family to save money. “You must get the flu shot if you are going to live here,” my sister declared. Both of my nieces were under the age of 5, putting them at a high risk of flu complications; therefore, it was critical that I do my part in, first, getting vaccinated to minimize my risk of getting the flu, and second, not passing the flu to a vulnerable population. A key part of this was, and still is, washing my hands regularly.

If you do nothing else the next few days, get a flu shot. The best time to get a flu shot is by the end of October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises. Considering the severity of last year’s flu, it is especially important for everyone over age six months to be vaccinated. This includes pregnant women.

In the November 2018 issue The Financial Crisis – A Decade Later – Lessons Learned? – Peter Devlin Unraveling Public Pensions in Mexico, The Example of Universities – Denise Gomez CBBA Academic Conference, Paris – A Report Stop Measuring Obesity with a Ruler – Tim Spector The Best Foods for a Good Night’s Sleep – Sophie Medlin Flu Lasts for More Than an Hour in Air and on Surfaces – Seema Lakdawala, Linsey Marr Get A Flu Shot Now – Patricia Schnabel Ruppert Influenza’s Wild Origins in Animals – Jonathan Runstadler Why Washing Your Hands Well Is So Important to Protect from The Flu – Michelle Sconce Massaquoi