(in 1957 it did get a little out of hand - but with good reason)

Since radio wasn't around in 1919 when the worst outbreak of influenza hit, I thought I might as well go for the next best thing and dig out a documentary produced in September 1957, when the infamous Asian Flu was at its peak. The two worst influenza outbreaks I remember were the Asian Flu of '57 and the Hong Kong flu of 1968. Both were rotten and both had achieved pandemic proportions. So hearing about this latest Swine Flu outbreak got me thinking just how far we haven't come in the area of detection and prevention of life threatening diseases. But also, what a change it's been from the last 8 years where a potential disaster was ignored until it achieved it's own level of horror.

So have a listen and take notes, you may need them in the coming weeks.