Daily Digit: A terrifying number of Americans died from the flu last year
Daily Digit is the story behind the numbers that make our world work. Today we’re looking at the death toll from the flu season. Last winter, an estimated 80,000 Americans died from the flu. This exceeds the tolls of recent years when the totals have been between 12,000 and 56,000 people. But the worst year on record is 1918, when a flu pandemic is estimated to have killed more than 500,000. Last year, the most casualties were young and elderly people. Luckily, the CDC is predicting that this year’s flu strain will be milder than last year’s. And the vaccine has been altered to make it more effective. Make sure to get your flu shot!
