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With October’s arrival, doctors urge flu shots in Hampton Roads

Posted at 9:54 AM, Oct 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-02 17:34:10-04

NORFOLK, Va. - The arrival of October has doctors in Hampton Roads urging people to not delay in getting their flu shots.

Sentara Healthcare tells News 3 that flu season in the region typically picks up around October 1 each year.

"It is very important to get it now because it takes about two weeks before you develop the immunity to the vaccine. Anywhere between two and three weeks," Sentara Healthcare's Dr. Bogdan Neughebauer told News 3 anchor Todd Corillo Tuesday.

While there's no way to predict how bad flu season will be this year, last year's season was rough locally and nationally.

"Last year in 2017, we moved directly from the sporadic presence of influenza to widespread presence in one week," Dr. Neughebauer said.

An estimated 80,000 Americans died of flu and its complications last winter, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sentara is offering 10 free drive-thru flu shot clinics across Hampton Roads on Saturday, October 6. You can find locations here.