City Of Boston: Notes From The Archives: #Onthisday In 1918, The Spanish Flu Arrived In Boston

Press release from the City of Boston:

August 27, 2021

By the end of the week, 100 new cases a day were being reported among the sailors at the pier. By the beginning of September, the flu had spread to Boston’s civilian population.

Many of Boston’s residents were treated for the flu at Boston City Hospital, pictured below.

By the end of 1918, over 4,000 Bostonians died from the flu, compared to 51 deaths the year prior. The below report from Boston’s Health Department compares the 1918 deaths to influenza deaths from previous years.

This press release was produced by the City of Boston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.