workspan, July 2006, Volume 49, Number 7

Preparing for a Pandemic: The Business Strategy

Supplemental Information
By Connie Harden, J.D., Buck Consultants

WHO-confirmed cases of avian flu as of April 21, 2006.

Source: www.PandemicFlu.gov

Suggested Readings and Web Resources

Books:

The Monster at Our Door: The Global Threat of Avian Flu. Mike Davis. (The New Press 2005).

The Great Influenza. John M. Barry. (Penguin 2004).

Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It. Gina Kolata. (Touchstone 1999, 2005).

Twenty-First Century Plague: The Story of SARS, Thomas Abraham (Hong Kong University Press 2005).

Articles

"A Potential Influenza Pandemic: Possible Macroeconomic Effects and Policy Issues." (The Congressional Budget Office, Dec. 8, 2005).

"The Global Economic and Financial Impact of an Avian Flu Pandemic and the Role of the IM.," Avian Flu Working Group of the International Monetary Fund (Available at http://www.imf.org/external/pubind.htm, Fe. 28, 2006).

"National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza," (Homeland Security Council, 2005).

"Avian Influenza (Bird Flu): Implications for Human Disease," (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), April 4, 2006 update).

"Preparing for the Next Pandemic," Michael T. Osterholm, PhD., M.P.H. (N. Engl. J. Med. 352;18, May 5, 2005).

"Influenza Pandemics: Are We Ready For the Next One?" Max J. Rudolph (Risk Management, July 2004, Issue No. 2).

"Pandemic: The Cost of Avian Influenza," Howell Pugh (Contingencies, September/October 2005).

"Modeling Pandemic Preparedness Scenarios: Health Economic Implications of Enhanced Pandemic Vaccine Supply," Jeroen K. Medema, York F. Zoellner, James Ryan and Abraham M. Palache (Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Virus Research 103 (2004) 9-15)

"Insurance Industry Catastrophe Management Practices," (American Academy of Actuaries, June 2001).

"Bird Flu: Overview and Economic Considerations Special Report," Bradford Frank, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. (Annals of Internal Medicine, Volume 143, No. 6, September 20, 2005).

"The Avian Flu Time Bomb," Kristin Choo (ABA Journal, November 2005).

Web Resources

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm (US Centers for Disease Control)

http://www.who.int/en/ (World Health Organization)

http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/ContentTopicSummary____14451.aspx (New Zealand Pandemic Business Planning Resources)

http://www.ecdc.eu.int/ (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)

About the Author:
Connie Harden, JD, is a principal and tax and legal consultant in the San Francisco office of Buck Consultants LLC. She has 25 years of experience as an employee-benefits attorney and consultant. She can be reached at connie.harden@buckconsultants.com or 415/617-3834.

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