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Flu News for Senior Citizens
CDC Releases 1918 Pandemic Flu Storybook Relating
Stories of Many Survivors
Recognizes 90th anniversary of scourge
that killed millions around world
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Elmer
Kretzschmar, 95 tells his story below |
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Aug. 22, 2008 - In recognition of the 90th
anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic, which killed millions of
people around the world, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) released today an online storybook containing narratives from
survivors, families, and friends about one of the largest scourges ever
on human kind.
The storybook provides valuable insight for public
health officials preparing for the possibility of another pandemic
sometime in our future.
The internet storybook contains about 50 stories
from individuals from 24 states around the country as well as photos and
narrative videos from the storytellers.
"Complacency is enemy number one when it comes to
preparing for another influenza pandemic," said CDC Director Dr. Julie
Gerberding.
"These stories, told so eloquently by survivors,
family members, and friends from past pandemics, serve as a sobering
reminder of the devastating impact that influenza can have and reading
them is a must for anyone involved in public health preparedness."
The idea for such a storybook emerged during crisis
and emergency risk communication (CERC) training CDC has been conducting
with health professionals over the past few years.
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Storyteller: Elmer Kretzschmar
Location: Iowa
I am now 95 years old and I currently reside in San
Antonio, Texas. In 1918, I was 6 years old and living in Strawberry
Point, Iowa, with my parents and my 7-year-old brother, Clarence. My
father Otto Kretzschmar owned a shoe store, and my mother, Minnie, was a
homemaker.
My father was also a violinist, and one of my fondest
memories is that of listening to him play during Christmas programs at
the church. Later that year, I was home from school because I had an
earache. My father was at home, too, because he was sick with the flu.
A
registered nurse, from Charles City, Iowa, came to live in our home to
help care for my father. The nurse was with us for 2 weeks and then she
left; my father died the next day. No one else in the family got sick
with the flu.
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The online storybook
contains narratives from survivors, families, and friends who lived
through the 1918 and 1957 pandemics.
The agency welcomes new submissions
and plans to update the book each quarter. Narratives from the 1968
pandemic are also welcome.
"It's an excellent resource, not only for public
health professionals, but for people of all ages," said Sharon KD
Hoskins, a public affairs officer who coordinated the project for CDC.
"It's probably the closest to experiencing the real thing that many of
us can imagine."
The storybook can be found at
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/storybook/index.html.
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