Sueros y vacunas en la lucha contra la pandemia de gripe de 1918-1919 en España

Abstract

RESUMENEn el marco de la renovada actualidad alcanzada por la pandemia de gripe de 1918-1919 en los últimos años y del protagonismo logrado por los estudios que analizan el proceso de innovación en Medicina, el presente trabajo analiza el papel representado por sueros y vacunas -los nuevos recursos de la ciencia médica del momento-en la lucha contra la gripe de 1918-1919. El estudio pone de relieve su dependencia de los factores científicos, sociales, económicos y profesionales que concurrieron, y muestra también las principales consecuencias derivadas de la puesta a punto y uso de los citados recursos terapéuticos y profilácticos.PALABRAS CLAVE: Sueros. Vacunas. Gripe de 1918Gripe de -1919. España. Siglo XX. SERUMS AND VACCINES TO FIGHT THE 1918-1919 INFLUENZA PAN-DEMIC IN SPAIN ABSTRACTAgainst the background of the renewed interest aroused in recent years by the influenza pandemic of [1918][1919], and the leading role now played by research analysing the process of innovation in medicine, this paper assesses the role played by serums and vaccines -the new resources of the medical science of the time-in the fight against the influenza outbreak of 1918-1919. The paper highlights the dependence on combined scientific, social, economic and professional factors, and also shows the main consequences arising from the fine-tuning and implementation of these therapeutic and prophylactic resources.

Planning for social distancing: How the legacy of historical epidemics shaped COVID-19's spread in Madrid

“…In the early 20th century, epidemics ravaged European cities. In Madrid, smallpox, typhus, flu, measles and tuberculosis induced a demographic crisis, as the death rate exceeded the birth rate (De Miguel Salanova, 2017;Huertas, 2002;Porras Gallo, 1994. The city was dubbed (locally and internationally) 'the city of death' (Revenga, 1901).…”

“…Although the pandemic was initially described as a 'benign epidemic' by the press, the disease proved deadly, giving rise to an atmosphere of fear and panic (Porras Gallo, 2018). On 31 October 1918, the civil governor of Madrid released a public note stating that the city centre was not dramatically affected by the epidemic, but the hospital was full of flu patients from peripheral shacks (Porras Gallo, 1994). Six days later, an Act introduced into parliament confirmed that the mortality rate was higher in the periphery than in the city centre, and warned that if public powers did not intervene, the city would be surrounded by 'a series of suburbs that seriously affect the health of their inhabitants and those of the city Extension and the Inner-city population' (Garcı´a Prieto, 1918: 1).…”

The Spanish flu and the fiction literature

“…In the Espasa encyclopedia (popular Spanish Encyclopedia), it was cited that "the serums and vaccines inspired by bacterial associations are now abandoned"; and that "strychnine, oxygen inhalations, arsenicals, salicylates and bleeding are prescribed" [27].…”

La Gripe de 1918-1919 y la transformación del ámbito laboral de las profesiones sanitarias en España

“…Para buena parte de los clínicos los síntomas apoyaban el diagnóstico de gripe y el tratamiento que debían aplicar, seguía casi sin cambios la línea terapéutica sintomática aplicada también en la anterior pandemia de 1889-1890, a la que se debía añadir el uso de sueros, aunque la consideración de este nuevo elemento provocó también discrepancias. Si para algunos, cualquier suero -como el antidiftérico -era una buena herramienta porque estimulaba las defensas generales del organismo,23 para un número mayor de facultativos el suero debía ser específico contra el agente de la gripe,24 requiriéndose entonces la intervención del laboratorio para fijar la etiología de la enfermedad.…”