I was reading about the 1976 swine flu vaccine push and found out they gave it to 45 million people in 10 weeks. That's way faster than anything we've seen since.

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3 Comments

You're absolutely right about that speed. My grandpa actually got that shot back then and told me the whole story. They set up clinics in parking lots and fire stations everywhere. It was a huge national effort that just doesn't happen anymore. The government basically told everyone it was their duty to get vaccinated. Comparing it to modern rollouts really shows how different the approach was. They operated with a sense of urgency we just don't see today.

patricia_king234d ago

Duty to get vaccinated? That's a pretty strong way to put it lol. I mean yeah they pushed it hard but it's not like people were getting dragged out of their houses or anything. My own dad got that polio shot and he just said it was a quick thing at the school gym, no big patriotic speech attached. People act like it was this huge selfless moment but honestly half the country was just scared and did what the doctor told them to do. Modern rollouts are different sure but calling it a sense of urgency vs duty feels like reading too much into it.

evanpalmer2mo ago

That kind of mass effort is hard to picture now. Must have been a wild time, with lines of people at every community spot. Your grandpa's story really puts a face on those huge numbers.