What is a Pandemic?

There have been three pandemics in the U.S. in the twentieth century. Every year the "normal" flu kills 36,000 in the U.S. The 1918 "Spanish" flu started in the U.S. in the Boston harbor, brought to this country by a military ship. At the end of its march through the U.S., the Spanish Flu killed more than 500,000 in the U.S. and more than 40 million worldwide.

The Spanish Flu arrived in Prescott, brought by three soldiers who were transferred from Idaho to Fort Whipple. Three days after they arrived, fifteen more people had the Spanish Flu. Schools were closed and public events were canceled. Jerome was the hardest hit with casualties during the outbreak. Overall, Yavapai County residents took a cautious approach to the spread of the flu and remained close to home. This helped the county to experience fewer deaths than some areas where populations were dense. The disease ran its course in about eight weeks in the Prescott area.