Emergency rooms in King County, Washington, saw 233 confirmed influenza visits in the week ending September 19, 2026, compared with just 31 in the same week a year earlier. That jump is a clear sign of an early flu season, and it is not only a Washington story. Here is what is known, what is not, and what to do now.
Flu usually peaks in December and January, so these numbers arrived well ahead of schedule. Below, we walk through the early data, what one infectious disease expert says, and practical steps for your household.
Quick note: this article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about what is right for you and your family.
What the Numbers Show About This Early Flu Season
The figures come from KUOW’s September 28 report on flu in Washington state. In King County, 233 emergency room visits with confirmed influenza were recorded in the week ending September 19. The same week in 2025 had 31.
That is roughly seven and a half times as many visits (233 divided by 31, our own arithmetic). It is one county and one week, so it does not prove how bad the whole winter will be. It does show that the early flu season is real in at least this part of the country.
KUOW also noted that COVID is rising. COVID typically surges later in the winter, so seeing it climb this early is another reason to pay attention.
Dr. Helen Chu on Why the Early Flu Season Matters
Dr. Helen Chu, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Washington, told KUOW: “It’s a little bit earlier than we would’ve expected for flu.” She expects multiple waves of illness before spring.
Chu was dismissed from the federal vaccine advisory committee, known as ACIP, in June 2025. She has also pointed to public confusion about vaccine recommendations. In her view, there has been no unified national vaccine policy since that advisory group was dissolved and not replaced.
What does that mean for you? Guidance may feel less consistent than in past years. Your own doctor, pharmacist, or local health department is a good place to get a clear answer.
Is the Early Flu Season Happening Elsewhere?
It appears so. A KFF Health News morning briefing from October 7 summarized reports from NPR and the San Francisco Chronicle (October 6 and 7). They said flu activity in California began rising in September, months earlier than usual.
Experts quoted in that coverage urged people to get vaccinated now. We have not independently confirmed national case counts, and it is too soon to say whether this early flu season will also be a severe one. Early starts do not always mean worse winters.
When to Get a Flu Vaccine During an Early Flu Season
Chu’s advice, as reported by KUOW, is to get the flu vaccine now rather than waiting for the traditional pre-Halloween window. If flu is already circulating, waiting means more weeks of exposure without protection.
Protection from a flu shot takes about two weeks to build, according to general public health guidance. So a shot this week helps most if you get it before the peak, not during it.
If you are unsure about timing for children, our fall 2026 kids’ vaccine guide walks through what pediatricians now recommend for flu, COVID and RSV.
New Flu Vaccine Options This Year
According to KUOW, there are two new options this year: an mRNA-based flu vaccine and a take-home nasal mist vaccine. We do not have details here on who is eligible for each, how much they cost, or how widely available they are. Ask your pharmacist or clinic what is on the shelf near you.
Separately, the KFF briefing, citing the Baltimore Sun (October 6), mentioned an experimental nasal spray that showed broad protection in older adults. That product is experimental and not approved, so it is not something you can get today.
Flu or COVID? Symptoms and When to Call a Doctor
Flu and COVID can look alike, and testing is the only reliable way to tell them apart. As general background, flu often comes on suddenly with fever, chills, body aches, cough, sore throat and fatigue. COVID can cause similar symptoms and sometimes a loss of taste or smell.
For details, the CDC keeps current information at cdc.gov/flu. Contact a doctor promptly if:
- You are in a higher-risk group, such as older adults, young children, pregnant people, or those with chronic conditions.
- Symptoms are severe, or you feel better and then suddenly worse.
- You have trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, or a fever that will not come down.
Call emergency services for severe breathing problems. Antiviral medicines, when prescribed, generally work best when started early, so do not wait too long to ask.
What to Do Now: A Simple Early Flu Season Checklist
- Book your flu shot this week. Do not wait for late October.
- Ask about COVID vaccination too, since COVID is also rising.
- Check what is circulating locally. Our post on what’s going around right now covers other seasonal bugs.
- Keep sick days simple. Stay home when ill, wash hands, and keep a thermometer and fluids at home.
- Plan for gaps. If multiple waves come, as Chu expects, know who can cover school pickups or work shifts.
Who Should Be Most Careful
Public health agencies, including the CDC, have long identified groups at higher risk of serious flu complications. These generally include adults 65 and older, young children, pregnant people, and people with conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease.
If you live with or care for someone in one of those groups, your own vaccination matters for them too. A shot lowers the odds that you bring the virus home.
Parents with school-age kids have an extra reason to move quickly. Classrooms are where respiratory viruses tend to spread fastest, and an early start means more weeks of exposure before the holidays.
How to Prepare Your Home and Workplace
You cannot control when the virus arrives, but you can make an early flu season easier to get through. These steps are general good practice, not claims from the sources above:
- Stock the basics. Fever reducers approved for your age group, tissues, fluids and a thermometer are cheaper now than at midnight during a fever.
- Know your clinic options. Find out whether your doctor offers same-day or telehealth visits so you can ask about treatment early.
- Talk to your employer. If sick leave or remote work is possible, sort it out before you need it.
- Improve the air. Opening windows when you can and staying home when sick both cut spread.
None of this replaces vaccination. It simply makes a bad week less chaotic.
Why an Early Start Does Not Guarantee a Bad Winter
It is tempting to read an early start as a prediction of disaster. The evidence so far does not support that leap. Flu seasons vary in timing, strain mix and severity, and an early rise can sometimes mean an early peak followed by a quicker decline.
Chu’s own expectation, as quoted by KUOW, is for multiple waves rather than a single spike. That is a reason for steady preparation rather than panic. If one wave passes, another could still follow before spring, so staying current on vaccines and symptoms is worth the effort.
Local health departments and the CDC’s flu pages are the best places to watch for updates as more data comes in. We will update this story if new numbers or guidance are released.
What We Still Do Not Know
Several questions remain open about this early flu season. We do not know how severe this winter will be, which flu strains are driving the early rise, or how well this year’s vaccines match them. The data here are from one county and one state report, plus California coverage relayed by KFF.
The bottom line: the early flu season is a good reason to act sooner. Get vaccinated now, watch for symptoms, and check with your doctor about your own risk.
