08:10 Laura Spinney: the search for a vaccine and the 1918 flu
Like other residents of Paris, journalist and science writer Laura Spinney is holed up in her home in the French capital: she's only able to venture out if she can produce an official certificate showing an approved reason for her journey.
She's got a unique perspective on the current scenes of turmoil we're seeing around the world. Her 2017 book Pale Rider covered the devastating impact of the 1918 influenza pandemic, a global health disaster that killed somewhere between 50 and 100 million people.
This week she reflects on the lessons we can take from this public health crisis from more than a century ago as we tackle the threat posed by COVID-19. And she also considers France's response, and the quest for a safe and effective vaccine.
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