The Brief
- Flu season in Western Washington has arrived unusually early, surging on the West Coast before moving east and driving hospitalizations to levels typically seen in December.
- Early fatalities have already been recorded across Snohomish, King, and Thurston counties, alongside rising COVID-19 cases and elevated emergency room visits.
- Health officials strongly urge everyone aged 6 months and older to get vaccinated immediately to protect against early-peaking respiratory viruses.
EVERETT, Wash. – Flu season in western Washington has arrived weeks earlier than expected, bringing a wave of hospitalizations and early fatalities across the Puget Sound region and prompting public health officials to issue an urgent call for vaccinations.
“The only thing predictable about flu is that it’s unpredictable,” said Dr. James Lewis with the Snohomish County Health Department.
Emergency department visits for flu-like illness began climbing as early as mid-August, far ahead of the typical late-October ramp-up, according to Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, health officer for the Washington State Department of Health.…