The "Spanish" Flu

The Spanish Flu didn't begin in Spain, however, news inclusion of it did. During World War I, Spain was a neutral country with a free media that secured the story from the beginning, first reporting it from Madrid in late May of 1918. Meanwhile, Allied nations and the Central Powers had wartime sources that covered up the flu news to keep morale high. Since Spanish news sources were the main ones giving a report of influenza, many trusted it started there.