The flu has hit fourteen King County schools, which had more than 10 percent of their students absent due to the illness.

No Snoqualmie Valley schools have been affected so far, but North Bend Elementary School did see a small increase last week in the number of students reporting flu-like symptoms. That number has come down this week, according to the school.

Flu rates are at their highest in five years, according to the King County Health Department.

The department is asking parents to keep sick children at home. People should wash their hands frequently and sneeze and cough into their shirt sleeve, not their hands, according to the department.

Children should be kept home if they have had a fever of 100 degrees fahrenheit or higher in the past 24 hours, have vomited in the past 12 hours or have had new cold symptoms in the past two to three days.

Check on-line for further information about the flu and vaccination at www.kingcounty.gov/health.