“All interest in disease and death is only another expression of interest in life.” — Thomas Mann (1875—1955)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Pandemic Flu Storybook provides readers with an intimate look at the impact pandemic flu events have had on both survivors and the families and friends of non-survivors. The stories within the pages of this book are not folklore, but personal recollections from the 1918 and 1957 events. This collection of stories was first released online in 2008 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the 1918 flu pandemic. The 1918 flu pandemic occurred towards the end of World War I. Despite the intensity of that global conflict, more people died during the flu pandemic than were killed during the entire war. The death toll from the flu was an estimated 50–100 million worldwide; in the United States, about 675,000 died. The 1957 flu pandemic killed 1–2 million worldwide and caused approximately 70,000 deaths in the United States.

Like the online version, we have kept each story in the CDC Pandemic Flu Storybook as close to the original submission as possible with only scant editing, so the unique voice of the storyteller is heard. This book includes tales of heartbreaking loss, gut-wrenching struggles to survive, and imaginatively concocted home remedies. This limited edition print version of the CDC Pandemic Flu Storybook is primarily designed for story contributors with limited or no access to the internet (we received several handwritten submissions from senior contributors). Additionally, this print version is a resource tool for the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Pandemic Flu training module.

Remember, preparedness is a choice.