The tragic stories keep piling up, and even though it may not be the pandemic we all fear could strike one year, H1N1 is still killing people in the prime of their lives. And if you didn't hear us the first time, you should get a flu shot.

46-year-old Nancy Pinnella, who lived in Danville and once worked for KPIX/CBS5, was struck down with the flu last week and died within days. As her family explains, "She left work feeling ill last Tuesday. On Wednesday morning she went to the doctor, and by that night she was on life support. [She] died on Saturday." She had never gotten a flu shot, and while her doctors say the shot might not have prevented her from getting sick, it likely would have saved her life.

As we cautioned twice earlier this month, the current strain of the H1N1 influenza virus has been disproportionately affecting people between the ages of 20 and 50, which is unusual for flu viruses. In the Bay Area alone, as of last week, the death toll had climbed to 29, with many of those victims in that age bracket, and with Pinnella's death and others that have not been reported, we are at upwards of 30 dead now.

And to be clear, you are not immune if you got a flu shot last year or if you had the H1N1 strain that went around in 2009/2010. It has morphed since then. Here's an account from that last bout, via an SFist commenter: "I had the swine flu in the epidemic of 2009. I'd never been sicker. It came upon me so suddenly — one moment, standing , talking; the next, feeling I'd been hit by a freight train and a raging fever. It took me 10 days to feel 'normal' again."

So get a flu shot. It takes 10-14 days to kick in, but you should get one. Without insurance it will cost you $30 at Walgreen's. Just. Go. Do. It.

[CBS 5]

Do you remember swine flu? Swine flu remembers you. And now that we're in the depths of the bowels of the pits of flu season (bizarre weather be damned), the dreaded H1N1 virus is making a comeback. In total, nine Bay Area counties and Santa Cruz County have reported 16 flu-related deaths, with four swine flu deaths reported in the Bay Area on Monday alone. What's more, the state requires reporting of influenza deaths only in people younger than 65, meaning that more elderly people may have also died of the flu.

As opposed to other strains of influenza that typically affect the very young and the very old, H1N1 targets adults in between, and fatalities this year have included a 23-year-old in Sonoma County, an otherwise healthy 48-year-old woman in Marin County, and a 41-year-old woman in Santa Clara County. Officials reports that H1N1 may be the predominant strain this flu season, so go ahead and get that flu shot as soon as possible.

And if you'd like to relive the swine flu panic of 2009 for a little extra motivation, here's a little reminder, courtesy of Gwyneth Paltrow and friends:

Previously: Have You Gotten Your Flu Shot?, Everything swine flu on SFist

Relatively young, healthy people have been dying from the H1N1 flu strain going around this year — not in large in numbers, but still. There have so far been nine Bay Area flu deaths this season, which is a slightly alarming number given that several of the victims were between the ages of 23 and 48, a couple of whom had no underlying health issues.

The earlier strain of H1N1, known as "swine flu," which came around in 2010, largely affected young children and the elderly, while this one seems a bit different.

A 23-year-old in Sonoma County died from H1N1 on Wednesday; an otherwise healthy 48-year-old woman died in Marin County on Monday; and a 41-year-old woman died in Santa Clara County just before Christmas.

Additionally, upwards of 50 or 60 people have been hospitalized with flu-related complications in the Bay Area this season, and peak flu season has only just begun. It runs January to March.

Stories like this are coming in from around the country too, with this 41-year-old father dying in Texas; and this 47-year-old paramedic in Alabama, also a father, and his wife remains hospitalized because of the virus.

So go get a flu shot! It's probably wise. Even if you find vaccinations scary for some reason. Back in 2010 it almost seemed pointless because there weren't enough vaccinations to go around and they were telling only, like, teachers and health care workers to get shots. But now, there's plenty, and you do not want this flu.

[BCN/Appeal]
[CBS]

Yes, the SF Public Health Department invites you to do shots with them, swine flu shots, that is. If you missed the big vaccination extravaganza at the Bill Graham Auditorium before the holidays, there's now plenty of vaccine available to EVERYONE, not just those in high risk groups, at our very own City-run Adult Immunization and Travel Clinic. Best of all? It costs only FIFTEEN BUCKS! That's cheaper than Walgreen's. What a bargain. They can set you up with the seasonal flu vaccine, too.

So call ahead and make an appointment or just drop by. They're right across from City Hall, near BART and a gazillion Muni lines, with plenty of meter parking right out front, so you have absolutely no excuses. Do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones, do it for the folks you work with who don't want you getting them sick.

San Francisco Adult Immunization and Travel Clinic
101 Grove Street at Polk, across from City Hall (map)
Room 102
Call or check web site for hours
Appointments & General Information: (415) 554-2625

KTVU reports that the San Francisco Department of Public Health "estimated that about 9,000 doses of a pediatric H1N1 vaccine recalled by the federal government were distributed within the city." But, we're told, you have nothing to fear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recalled around 800,000 H1N1 vaccines because their "potency levels decreased after they were shipped to providers."

While the rest of the world frets over long vaccine lines, or lack of vaccine doses, we have pressing news for you today: transmitting H1N1 to your cat or dog. Up until last week, veterinarians claimed that "it was a myth that house cats could catch the deadly H1N1 flu from their owners."

That is, until a 13-year-old Iowa indoor cat caught the virus. Discovery reports:

Those veterinarians, along with other health experts, are revising their views after an Iowa Department of Public Health announcement Wednesday that the virus has been confirmed in an indoor 13-year-old cat, which likely contracted the illness from two flu-sick humans in its home.

Sad.

"We're seeing reverse zoonosis, with the virus jumping from people to animals," Alfonso Torres told Discovery News. He goes on to add, "In theory, cats could infect humans, but there is no evidence for that yet." Which: of course there's no evidence for that yet; cats are awesome and wouldn't go to the effort to infect humans.

Anyway, no word yet if the H1N1 vaccine would work on cats, but...probably not. Also, the entire world would nut if our felines friends were given H1N1 vaccines. Alas. But fortunately, Torres points out, "there are some 60 million cats and only the one reported case, so the risk of other cats becoming infected appears to be low at this point."

A clinical trial is taking place in San Francisco for HIV+ people who are exhibiting flu symptoms in which they can qualify for free in-home doctor visits. Quest Clinical Studies, Conant Medical Group and Adamas Pharmaceuticals are testing a triple combination antiviral drug (TCAD) therapy for influenza. If you or someone you know has HIV and is exhibiting 100-degree or higher fever in addition to fatigue and other symptoms, you should call 1-888-5-HIV-FLU to see if you qualify. In addition to receiving home treatment, study subjects will have all their treatment, including prescriptions and lab costs, covered, and will be compensated for time and travel.

The H1N1 flu is looking particularly dangerous for HIV+ people, and a community forum on the subject is scheduled for November 10th at the LGBT Community Center (1800 Market Street). Call them at (415) 865-5665 for more info.

The first batch of H1N1 flu vaccines, some 3.4 million doses, will come in the form of a nasal spray from a company called MedImmune. We couldn't be more pleased about this because we hate needles, and we're total hypochondriacs. The U.S. has ordered a total of 195 million doses of the vaccine and pretty much everyone is encouraged to get vaccinated, beginning with health care workers, the immuno-compromised, and anyone with respiratory ailments. Get your flu shots/nasal sprays, kids! We fear it's going to be an ugly winter.

There were plenty of predictions this past spring that the H1N1 virus was going to come back to bite us in the ass this winter, and last week a White House advisory panel made some dire predictions of a "worst case scenario" in which half the country could get infected, 1.8 million could end up hospitalized, and 90,000 could die -- which would be more than twice the average for a normal flu season. And as we've seen, this flu has been striking many in the 30- to 45-year-old range who may have a pre-existing condition such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or obesity -- some scientists believe the virus hasn't affected older people in greater numbers due to some pre-existing immunity from an earlier strain of the flu, perhaps from the early 1960s or before. Hopefully if you have any of these pre-existing conditions, if you're preggers, or if you have school-aged kids, you'll run out and get flu shots in October, and the rest of you will wash your goddamn hands twenty times a day and STAY HOME FROM WORK if you show any symptoms. This ain't no SARS! (Perhaps try one of the stylish animal masks above from Samiraboon.)

Also in the news, Rachel Maddow had it; Stanford is seeking people for a swine flu vaccination trial in which they are experimenting to stretch the number of vaccines available using a chemical adjuvant; and airlines like Virgin America have been taking precautions for flu season, such as providing anti-bacterial wipes and sanitizing gel for passengers, face masks for the sick, and removing pillows and blankets for daytime flights -- providing only wrapped, sterile items for red-eyes only.

In a truly sad note this morning, Doug Murphy, co-owner of Moby Dick and, most recently, Blackbird, died Friday due to complications from the H1N1 virus, better known as swine flu. He was 41 years old, and was in Palm Springs at the time of his infection, and he had not been traveling abroad, according to business partner Shawn Vergara.

Information about a memorial service will be provided at the Blackbird fan page linked above.