Pandemic (from the Greek, meaning of all of the people) Influenza has the potential to pose a far greater threat to global health. It typically is a novel human flu that causes a worldwide outbreak of serious illness and death. Because there is little natural immunity, the disease can easily spread from person to person, one of the key characteristics that defines a pandemic. There have been at least 10 recorded flu pandemics during the past 300 years.4 Three of these occurred during the 20th Century. (1) The 1918-1919 Spanish Flu was the most devastating flu pandemic in recent history. It killed more than 500,000 Americans and as many as 50 million people globally, according to some estimates. It proved especially lethal to young adults. (2) The 1957-1958 Asian Flu was first identified in China and killed approximately 1 million people worldwide, including 68,000 Americans. (3) The 1968-1969 Hong Kong Flu caused about 34,000 deaths in the United States. 94 (American Academy of Pediatrics, Pandemic Influenza, October 2007, p. 2)