Latest news with #1918
News24
03-06-2025
- General
- News24
Myths and misconceptions about the medical marvel that is the flu vaccine
In 1918, a particularly virulent strain of influenza is estimated to have infected 500 million people worldwide, killing between 20 and 50 million people, and causing more fatalities than the entire course of the First World War1. It was not until the 1930s, and after many years of deadly influenza pandemics, that influenza was identified to be caused by a virus and not a bacterial infection, a vital step towards developing an effective vaccine1. Historically, as each new vaccine proved effective in a particular flu season, the following season would see scientists discovering that some patients were not developing the necessary antibodies to the identified strain, which led to the discovery of different influenza strains1. Fortunately today, scientists now manufacture vaccines based on the monitoring of virus strains in circulation around the world, updating the strains targeted by the vaccine in response1. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the flu vaccine is still the best way to prevent the flu2. Flu viruses mutate very rapidly, and as the viruses spread, many different strains develop, which fall into 2 main types namely influenza A and influenza B11. Because flu viruses are constantly evolving, flu vaccines are updated from one season to the next to protect against the viruses that research suggests will be common during the upcoming flu season3. For the past few years, a quadrivalent influenza vaccine has been available worldwide to protect against four different flu viruses, including two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses4. However, given that there have not been any confirmed detections of the one influenza B virus since March 2020, the World Health Organization Flu Vaccine Strain-Selection Committee has recommended switching back to trivalent (three-strain) vaccines that include two influenza A strains plus just the one influenza B strain5. This vaccine will be available in South Africa this month. Despite over 60 years of medical research, clinical trials and proven safety and efficacy, as well as the fact that the flu vaccine can reduce the chances of getting sick by up to 60%, many myths and misconceptions about the potentially life saving medical intervention still exist6,7. Flu isn't serious Many people are still under the impression that flu isn't serious. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, seasonal flu results in between 6 000 and 11 000 deaths in South Africa annually, as a result of flu complications. People who are more at risk of severe flu complications include the elderly, pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, lung disease, tuberculosis and heart disease8. The flu vaccine causes flu One common myth that exists is that the flu vaccine can cause flu. This is not true. To cause an infection, a flu virus needs to reproduce, and no flu vaccine anywhere in the world contains viruses that can reproduce. Some people may feel some minor side effects after being vaccinated, including slight fever, aches, or fatigue, but these can all be normal signs that your immune system is learning to fight off the flu6. One vaccine every few years should suffice Some people think that the flu vaccine they had last year will protect them again the following year. Unlike other vaccines, flu vaccines are not intended to last longer than one year. This is because flu viruses are constantly changing, and flu vaccines are updated from one season to the next6. Flu vaccines are dangerous for pregnant women On the contrary, pregnant women are a higher risk group who should get the flu vaccine, since their immune systems are weaker than usual. The inactivated flu vaccine is safe at any stage of pregnancy5. Flu vaccines are painful While the thought of a needle might make some people nervous or uncomfortable, medical innovation has also advanced when it comes to administering the flu vaccination. A smart syringe, which is available in South Africa, is one example, which has been designed for precise dosing and injection site comfort9. This is particularly helpful given that the World Health Organisation recommends that children from the age of six months old should get an annual flu vaccination2. Speak to your doctor, pharmacist or local clinic about getting your flu vaccination as soon as possible. It is quick, easy and safe6,7,9 and can protect you and your family from becoming seriously ill with flu, and limits the spread of infection to family, friends and colleagues. References: 1. World Health Organization. History of the Influenza Vaccination (2024) at (website accessed on 18 February 2024) 2. World Health Organization. Key Facts (2023) at (website accessed on 30 January 2024) 3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Strong Defence Against Flu – Get Vaccinated! (2020) at (website accessed on 30 January 2024). 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (2023) at (website accessed on 19 February 2024) 5. University of Minnesota. WHO advisers recommend switch back to trivalent flu vaccines (2023) at (website accessed on 19 February 2024) 6. Families Fighting Flu Inc. Facts on Flu Vaccines (2021) at (website accessed on 18 February 2024) 7. World Health Organization. 5 Myths about the Flu Vaccine (2024) at (website accessed on 18 February 2024) 8. National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Influenza Season Approaching (2018) at (website accessed on 30 January 2024 9. Smart Syringe System data on file
Fast Company
20-05-2025
- General
- Fast Company
What a wartime housing boom reveals about solving America's housing crisis
In 1918, as World War I intensified overseas, the U.S. government embarked on a radical experiment: It quietly became the nation's largest housing developer, designing and constructing more than 80 new communities across 26 states in just two years. These weren't hastily erected barracks or rows of identical homes. They were thoughtfully designed neighborhoods, complete with parks, schools, shops and sewer systems. In just two years, this federal initiative provided housing for almost 100,000 people. Few Americans are aware that such an ambitious and comprehensive public housing effort ever took place. Many of the homes are still standing today. But as an urban planning scholar, I believe that this brief historic moment – spearheaded by a shuttered agency called the United States Housing Corporation – offers a revealing lesson on what government-led planning can achieve during a time of national need. Government mobilization When the U.S. declared war against Germany in April 1917, federal authorities immediately realized that ship, vehicle and arms manufacturing would be at the heart of the war effort. To meet demand, there needed to be sufficient worker housing near shipyards, munitions plants and steel factories. So on May 16, 1918, Congress authorized President Woodrow Wilson to provide housing and infrastructure for industrial workers vital to national defense. By July, it had appropriated US$100 million – approximately $2.3 billion today – for the effort, with Secretary of Labor William B. Wilson tasked with overseeing it via the U.S. Housing Corporation. Over the course of two years, the agency designed and planned over 80 housing projects. Some developments were small, consisting of a few dozen dwellings. Others approached the size of entire new towns. For example, Cradock, near Norfolk, Virginia, was planned on a 310-acre site, with more than 800 detached homes developed on just 100 of those acres. In Dayton, Ohio, the agency created a 107-acre community that included 175 detached homes and a mix of over 600 semidetached homes and row houses, along with schools, shops, a community center and a park. Designing ideal communities Notably, the Housing Corporation was not simply committed to offering shelter. Its architects, planners and engineers aimed to create communities that were not only functional but also livable and beautiful. They drew heavily from Britain's late-19th century Garden City movement, a planning philosophy that emphasized low-density housing, the integration of open spaces and a balance between built and natural environments. Importantly, instead of simply creating complexes of apartment units, akin to the public housing projects that most Americans associate with government-funded housing, the agency focused on the construction of single-family and small multifamily residential buildings that workers and their families could eventually own. This approach reflected a belief by the policymakers that property ownership could strengthen community responsibility and social stability. During the war, the federal government rented these homes to workers at regulated rates designed to be fair, while covering maintenance costs. After the war, the government began selling the homes – often to the tenants living in them – through affordable installment plans that provided a practical path to ownership. Though the scope of the Housing Corporation's work was national, each planned community took into account regional growth and local architectural styles. Engineers often built streets that adapted to the natural landscape. They spaced houses apart to maximize light, air and privacy, with landscaped yards. No resident lived far from greenery. In Quincy, Massachusetts, for example, the agency built a 22-acre neighborhood with 236 homes designed mostly in a Colonial Revival style to serve the nearby Fore River Shipyard. The development was laid out to maximize views, green space and access to the waterfront, while maintaining density through compact street and lot design. At Mare Island, California, developers located the housing site on a steep hillside near a naval base. Rather than flatten the land, designers worked with the slope, creating winding roads and terraced lots that preserved views and minimized erosion. The result was a 52-acre community with over 200 homes, many of which were designed in the Craftsman style. There was also a school, stores, parks and community centers. Infrastructure and innovation Alongside housing construction, the Housing Corporation invested in critical infrastructure. Engineers installed over 649,000 feet of modern sewer and water systems, ensuring that these new communities set a high standard for sanitation and public health. Attention to detail extended inside the homes. Architects experimented with efficient interior layouts and space-saving furnishings, including foldaway beds and built-in kitchenettes. Some of these innovations came from private companies that saw the program as a platform to demonstrate new housing technologies. living room to bedroom to dining room throughout the day. To manage the large scale of this effort, the agency developed and published a set of planning and design standards − the first of their kind in the United States. These manuals covered everything from block configurations and road widths to lighting fixtures and tree-planting guidelines. The standards emphasized functionality, aesthetics and long-term livability. Architects and planners who worked for the Housing Corporation carried these ideas into private practice, academia and housing initiatives. Many of the planning norms still used today, such as street hierarchies, lot setbacks and mixed-use zoning, were first tested in these wartime communities. And many of the planners involved in experimental New Deal community projects, such as Greenbelt, Maryland, had worked for or alongside Housing Corporation designers and planners. Their influence is apparent in the layout and design of these communities. A brief but lasting legacy With the end of World War I, the political support for federal housing initiatives quickly waned. The Housing Corporation was dissolved by Congress, and many planned projects were never completed. Others were incorporated into existing towns and cities. Yet, many of the neighborhoods built during this period still exist today, integrated in the fabric of the country's cities and suburbs. Residents in places such as Aberdeen, Maryland; Bremerton, Washington; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Watertown, New York; and New Orleans may not even realize that many of the homes in their communities originated from a bold federal housing experiment. The Housing Corporation's efforts, though brief, showed that large-scale public housing could be thoughtfully designed, community oriented and quickly executed. For a short time, in response to extraordinary circumstances, the U.S. government succeeded in building more than just houses. It constructed entire communities, demonstrating that government has a major role and can lead in finding appropriate, innovative solutions to complex challenges. At a moment when the U.S. once again faces a housing crisis, the legacy of the U.S. Housing Corporation serves as a reminder that bold public action can meet urgent needs.
