As the documentary shows, the 1918 flu pandemic was something that drastically changed the course of both US history and world history. The pandemic was the most severe in recent history, infecting over a third of the global population at the time and killing over 50 million ("1918 Pandemic," n.d.).
While the flu, which was the virus that caused the 1918 pandemic, is still a major threat to public health today, I do not believe that a pandemic that size could occur again. I believe that a pandemic of that size, one that infected a third of the population and killed 20%, will not happen again for a majority of reasons. One such reason is that in 1918, we did not have a preventative vaccine or medication ("1918 Pandemic," n.d.). We have both a vaccine and treatment now, which would help prevent a good number of infections and deaths. Further, we have a better understanding of how the flu is transmitted and we would be able to slow the rate of infection.
While I do not think that the flu would be the "Next Big One," I do think that there will still be a major pandemic in my lifetime. From what I have read and seen, I think the next big pandemic will be an old infection that we have built up immunity to the drugs, leaving us with no treatment options.
Personally, I think that Extensively Drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB), which is a TB infection that is resistant to almost all treatment methods, will be the "Next Big One" ("Drug-Resistant TB," n.d.). All other viruses and bacteria have some form of treatment that can be used to heal people, but XDR TB does not. Coupled with the fact that TB is incredibly infectious, if XDR TB managed to become widespread, I don't think there would be anything we could do but sit and watch people die.
REFERENCES:
“1918 Pandemic (H1N1 virus).” n.d. Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html
“Drug-Resistant TB.” n.d. Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/drtb/default.htm