Each winter, the flu kills approximately 36,000-40,000 Americans, hospitalizes more than 200,000, and costs the U.S. economy over $10 billion in lost productivity and direct medical expenses. As staggering as these figures are, health experts are now warning about a far more lethal kind of flu - a pandemic flu that could kill over a half of a million people in the U.S., hospitalize 2 million more, and cost our economy an estimated $70-$160 billion.

Most experts agree that there is a growing and significant threat of a global pandemic, but that there is no way to predict either exactly when it might occur or the severity of the impact.

In the event of pandemic influenza, businesses will play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. In addition to the threat that a pandemic could pose to human health world-wide, few industries will be insulated from the economic effects resulting from absenteeism in the workplace or from the downstream effects stemming from supply-chain and travel disruption.

Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. Companies that provide critical infrastructure services, such as power and telecommunications, also have a special responsibility to plan for continued operation in a crisis and should plan accordingly.

As with any catastrophe, having a contingency plan is essential. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is encouraging preparedness for an influenza pandemic within the business community. It is important for business owners and leaders to be knowledgeable about the risks associated with the threat of an influenza pandemic and, in turn, to be adequately prepared for the possibility of a pandemic that would have significant social and economic costs.

The Chamber and the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) have developed a brochure that will help guide businesses through the pandemic planning process.