Giving Compass' Take:

• Daniele Selby, writing for Global Citizen, warns that the flu is a threat to global health until we address how to fully vaccinate against it. 

• Johnson & Johnson is researching and innovating for treatment to respond to viral respiratory infections. How can philanthropists help further the research process? 

• Read more about preparing the world for the next flu pandemic. 

A century ago, the Spanish influenza infected one-third of the world’s population and wiped out approximately 100 million people. It was the deadliest flu pandemic in history, the likes of which have not been seen again, but experts fear another massive deadly influenza pandemic is imminent.

In the decades since the Spanish flu struck millions, much progress has been made in flu preventative and treatment methods, yet there is still no effective universal vaccine or effective treatment for the most serious influenza infections.

There are many strains of influenza — and they are constantly evolving, as a result, finding effective solutions to fight back against the most serious infections has proven difficult.

Though influenza viruses are not always seen as high-risk infections, they can be both serious and fatal, and are considered one of the most feared threats to global health.

At least 80,000 died of the flu or flu-related complications last winter in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention— the highest flu-related death toll the US has seen in approximately four decades. Experts attribute the unusually high number, in part, to last season’s flu vaccine, which was only 25% effective at preventing the most common strain of the flu.

Johnson & Johnson is aiming to develop cutting-edge solutions through extensive research to prevent and treat the most severe viral respiratory infections and to help protect us against an international pandemic.

Read the full article about fighting the flu by Daniele Selby at Global Citizen