All the figures I've read of the mortality rate of the 1918 flu are much lower, around 5%. Regular garden variety flu is much less than that, and kills about 36,000 people in the US every year. A flu which is transmitted easily and kills even 5% will kill a tremendous number of people. Small pox is around 30%.
Gotta read that book "The Great Flu" or whatever it's called. If anyone knows the actual title can you ping me?
Didn't know if you had seen this.
The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History -- by John M. Barry
A somewhat long and hard read but well worth it. - OB1
The book is "The Great Influenza":
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143036491/sr=8-1/qid=1148477670/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-7122915-8052649?%5Fencoding=UTF8
Good book, if a bit technical at times.