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The swine flu scare of 1976 was a “flu fire drill” for policy makers, says a health expert.
In 1976, a young military recruit died of what was thought to be swine flu, setting off a massive government vaccination campaign. The response: forty million Americans vaccinated, national paranoia, and 14 deaths. Dr. Harvey Fineberg is the author of “The Epidemic That Never Was: Policy Making in the Swine Flu Scare.” He shares a history lesson and a cautionary tale with host Bruce Gellerman.