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Dr. Howard K. Koh, assistant secretary for health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, gets his flu shot.

(PR NEWSWIRE)

Wednesday, Legacy Health administrators said they were considering implementing temporary restrictions on visitors to its hospitals to help keep influenza from spreading. Thursday, they did so, joining many other metro-area hospitals.

Patients at Legacy's six metro-area hospitals will not be allowed to have more than two visitors at a time, and visitors younger than 18 must be immediate family members.

Influenza activity has rapidly increased in and around Portland over the past week. The latest numbers from the Oregon Health Authority are due Friday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, according to a spokeswoman, Legacy's hospitals were treating 46 inpatients with the flu.

Restrictions on hospital visitors are expected to lift in a couple weeks, when peak flu season starts to wane.

Doctors across the region are urging those who haven't been vaccinated against the flu to get a flu shot.

Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Immunize Oregon and the Multnomah County Immunization Program will partner to offer free flu shots, as long as supplies last, to people age 6 months and older. The flu shot clinic will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at the hospital, 2801 N. Gantenbein. Those 12 and older may also receive a free tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis vaccination that day.

-- Katy Muldoon