The first disease would be barely anything. A minor inconvenience at most. But I would have the government and media harp on it constantly, 24/7 The media would play it up as much as possible, making it out to be a Plague of Biblical proportions. I would have ever-increasing and silly rules for society to follow, not because they made any sense, but because they didn't make any sense. At first, they would have to wear a mask everywhere. Afterwords, they would have to wear two masks everywhere. And I would keep shifting the goalposts. This would serve an important purpose. This would separate those who are willing to comply, from those who are not. Finally, I would release a vaccine. The compliant followers would line up in droves to take it. The Vaccine would be rushed. The Vaccine would be mostly untested. The Vaccine would have bad side effects. But, most importantly, the Vaccine wouldn't be for the first disease. The Vaccine was always for the Second Plague. The Vaccine never gave any immunity towards the first sickness. The only intention of the Vaccine was to determine who would comply, willingly, with any order the Government gave. Those who trusted the Government were given the shot, which did not protect them from the first sickness. But when the Government released the Second Genetic Plague, The one that actually killed everyone who wasn't vaccinated, They said "Glad I listened to them, and got the shot" And all of the sudden, All the compliant, trustworthy folk would be alive, And everyone who questioned anything, Would be dead. [edit: this is a work of fiction]