Flu is sending far more people to emergency rooms in the Seattle area than it did at this point last year. In King County, 233 people went to the ER with influenza during the week ending Sept. 19, 2026, compared with 31 in the same week of 2025, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County data reported by KUOW.
That is about seven times last year's count, and it comes in September, months before flu usually peaks in Western Washington. For families, the practical meaning is simple: the window to get protected before flu spreads widely may be shorter this year.
