our daughter got married early december '19. our other daughter and i got really sick and it lingered for a long time. we've always wondered...
Makes sense -- since this was of course hallowed pre-covid times... there were a lot of E- /SE-Asian tourist traffic here on Maui over the holiday season, natch. HI in general's a huge holiday destination for East Asia in particular, so makes sense geography-wise... but remember also twin-engine jets that could fly direct LAX/TPE, LAX/NRT & HNL/PEK were established and profitable... so the spread was virtually guaranteed to go as wild as it did. I'd no idea what hit me -- hadn't been that sick in decades. This event actually convinced me (prior to covid, which wrote it in stone) to get flu vaxes.
Unlike covid vaccinations, flu vaccinations are still mandatory for military members and have been more or less since 1945. MUCH more since the 50's. Military personnel can get COVID-19 shots, but the mandatory requirement was rescinded in 2023, allowing for personal choice, though the Department of Defense encourages vaccination for readiness and health - meaning encouraged....not "ENCOURAGED." IYNYN.