“The elderly, normally the group most susceptible to influenza, not only survived attacks of the disease but were attacked far less often. This resistance of the elderly was a worldwide phenomenon. The most likely explanation is that an earlier pandemic , so mild as to not attract attention, resembled the 1918 virus closely enough that it provided protection. (p. 408 paperback edition)” AgeExperienceResistanceInfluenza Book:The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History Source: The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History