Flu in the Family: A true tale of two outcomes

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Flu levels are rising in King County and so are emergency room visits related to flu. In this comic strip, Public Health employee, Rolando Avila, shares about what happened when one of his kids got vaccinated for flu and the other didn’t. As Rolando and his family found out, the flu shot can’t guarantee that you won’t get sick, but it can make it much more bearable and help you bounce back faster if you do.

Panel one of the comic strip "Flu in the Family: A true tale of two outcomes." A father describes how he and his young daughter got flu shots but his son insisted on getting it later. The daugher is drawn after getting her vaccination, tearful and with a bandaid and high-fiver the vaccinator as her dad looks on. The son is drawn saying that he'll get his vaccine later.

The daughter was sick for a few days, and she is shown sneezing on her dad as he is on Zoom call. He started feeling stuffy later in the week.

Describes how the author and his daughter bounced  back quickly from illness without missing much work or daycare. But the son had full flu symptoms and missed an entire week of school and felt lousy for two weeks. He is shown feverish and sick in bed.

Description of how the family saw firsthand the powerful difference a flu shot makes, even if it doesn't prevent illness entirely. Shows the father, daughter and son feeling better.

More information about flu vaccination

The flu season typically runs through spring, so it’s not too late to get a flu shot! kingcounty.gov/FindaClinic

We have more information about flu vaccine and a dashboard where you can see the latest respiratiory illness levels in King County.

Comic by Rolando Avila.

Originally posted on 1/6/26.