The 1976 Swine Flu Scare and 1979 CBS 60 minutes report

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On November 4, 1979, the CBS news program 60 Minutes broadcast a segment led by investigative reporter Mike Wallace focusing on the fallout from the U.S. government's aborted 1976 swine flu mass inoculation campaign and subsequent legal claims of vaccine-related injuries.
 

• The 1976 Precedent: Following a minor outbreak at Fort Dix, New Jersey, U.S. officials feared a catastrophic pandemic mirroring the 1918 Spanish flu. President Gerald Ford launched a massive $135 million nationwide vaccination program.
  

• The Fallout: The anticipated pandemic never materialized, but roughly 46 million Americans received the shot. A small percentage developed a neurological condition known as Guillain-Barré syndrome, leading thousands of citizens to file multibillion-dollar damage claims against the federal government.
  

• The 60 Minutes Segment: Produced by Norman Gorin, Wallace’s report examined the public health miscalculations, grilled officials like CDC Director David Sencer on the rush to vaccinate, and highlighted citizens suffering from severe health setbacks following the government campaign.
  

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