Just finished reading this report by Dr. Sherry Cooper who is the:
Global Economic Strategist - Harris Bank
Chief Economist - BMO Nesbitt Burns
Chief Economist - Harris Nesbitt

Dr. Cooper is one of Canada's most respected economists. Her 28 page report gives the best overview of a global pandemic I have yet seen. I'm currently doing pandemic planning for my largest client so I've read a lot of different reports on the subject. This research is as good as it gets.

It's a good solid read, well worth the time. Here's the link:

http://www.bmonesbittburns.com/economics/reports/20051011/dont_fear_fear.pdf