Seattle Area Flu Cases Skyrocket, But Peak Season Hasn't Arrived

SEATTLE, WA - Health officials are reporting that flu cases are reaching levels not seen in years, and the flu season has not peaked yet.

The King County Health Department reported on Tuesday that the number of flu-like illnesses reported at area emergency rooms to date is at a five-year high. The department has also seen a "marked increase" in the number of positive lab tests for flu over the past few weeks.

The rise in flu cases comes as King and Pierce counties deal with a large outbreak of mumps. Mumps and flu share some symptoms - like fever and aches - but a hallmark of mumps is swelling of the face, neck, and other body parts.

King County officials say that this year's flu vaccine is effective at warding off the virus. In some recent years, flu vaccines have been less effective. Flu can be deadly, especially for members of certain risk groups, including the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with respiratory illnesses like asthma. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 85 children died of flu during the 2015-16 influenza season.

Since peak flu season isn't here yet, officials are advising anyone who hasn't gotten a flu vaccine to get one.

"The peak of flu season could still be weeks away and flu typically continues to circulate through the spring. A flu vaccine starts to build protection right away, reaching its full protection after two weeks," risk communications specialist Meredith Li-Vollmer wrote in a blog post for the department.

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