according to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). One death occurred in a young child, between the ages of 5 and 12, in Virginia’s Eastern Region, which includes the Hampton Roads area.

The health department reported that about 17% of emergency department visits in Virginia, or almost 14,000, are for respiratory illnesses. In the eastern region it’s higher, with about 21% of ER ...

Health officials in the D.C. region say this year’s flu season — with the deaths of six children reported in Maryland and Virginia — has been especially severe.