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There may of been another small incident lowering life expectancy around that time.
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The Spanish Influenza, yes.
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He was referring to WWI.
Although WWI was over by then, and neither of the World Wars seemed to put that much of a dent in life expectancy, strangely enough.
ETA: just noticed this was for US only. The US entered WWI late, and not too many American children were killed in the wars, so that might explain what Iām seeing.
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Which is why that strain is so bloody terrifying. One tiny virus killed more people ā many of them healthy young men ā than the biggest war the world had ever seen.
Which takes me to the other exception I should have made above: I am Canadian, so I am not used to the concept of ācan I afford itā when instinctively thinking of basic medical care. I donāt want to say poor people are at fault if they want to be vaccinated but cannot find the money to pay for it.
Why I am reminded of that is that if a strain like 1918 hits, while our medical care has come far and would aid survivability (like with the recent H1N1 which could have been much worse), it only helps if you have access to it. I am sick with the thought of what will happen if this new bill goes through (including the new part that a Governor could independently and permanently end Medicaid in their state) and what could happen in the next epidemic. And there will be oneā¦ Just what it is going to be is unknown.
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Spanish influenza and WWI were not unrelatedāUS military mobilization played a major role in spreading it around. Itās always hard to calculate the true number of deaths resulting from a large-scale conflict because wartime conditions make it so much easier to die from ānaturalā causes.
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I can afford it and pay good money for it but still the bureaucrats and middlemen mess up the paperwork. 
But thatās another topic.
Youāre totally right about the next epidemic - and worse, as unemployment and underemployment keeps growing, through automation, outsourcing, or just improved efficiency, while health care remains classified as an employment benefit - a luxury only for those whose skills at making other people wealthier remain relevant - it gets even more dangerous.
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Itās closely related. If my paperwork gets messed up here, itās not my problem. Itās between my doctor and the bureaucrats at OHIP (the Ontario Health Insurance Plan). Iām never out of pocket. For someone fighting a serious illness, thatās a big issue. Private insurers, on the other hand, have a financial incentive to delay and mess up the paperwork.
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Well, it can be if the missing paperwork is proof you have OHIP. I used to work in a hospital business office, and one of my jobs was to confirm OHIP details if they were mixed up or missing (can easily happen if you come in through ER in a hurry, for example).
What was fascinating is the patients and their families were almost universally disgusted that the hospital had screwed up, and shocked, shocked I tell you, that anyone could possibly have to warn them they could be facing bills if they didnāt give us the info. Which I guess is ultimately a good thing, but led to some weird conversations.
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