Home Parenting Advice Yes, Your Kid Can Get the Flu Twice in One Season. Here’s Why By Shahrzad WarkentinOctober 26, 2018 Search more like this high-riskfluinfluenzavirusvaccinationimmune-systemsvaccineofficerprotectiondeathtreatassociatebuggood-news Read next Parenting Advice The Best Organic Clothes for Babies & Toddlers Parenting Advice 45 Pumpkin Carving Designs That’ll Wow the Neighborhood Parenting Advice Target’s Best Holiday Deals Start Sooner Than You Think Parenting Advice This Larger Than Life Mister Rogers Monument is Exactly What the World Needs Parenting Advice Want a Free Donut on Halloween? Here’s How to Get One from Krispy Kreme It’s bad enough when the flu bug strikes your family the first time—but when those same aches and high fevers strike more than once, you’ll be left wondering, can you get the flu twice? Sadly, the answer is yes. As awful as it sounds, it is possible to get the flu twice in one season because there are two different types of the virus. “A child could be infected by both influenza A and influenza B in the same year,” Dr. Ian Tong, chief medical officer at Doctor on Demand told POPSUGAR. #Parents: #Flu vaccination reduced the risk of flu-related death by half in children with high-risk medical conditions and 65% in healthy children from 2010 to 2014. #FightFlu this season with a flu vaccine, the best protection against flu. https://t.co/ttZcNp0Ejw pic.twitter.com/hJFiz3zqhw — CDC Flu (@CDCFlu) October 22, 2018 While having the flu is miserable either way, the types can be different when it comes to symptoms and severity. “Influenza A subtype, or influenza A, is the more dangerous subtype of the flu,” Dr. Tong explained. While the symptoms tend to be more severe than those of influenza B, the good news is they don’t last quite as long. Influenza B on the other hand, is associated with milder symptoms, but tends to last longer. Regardless of which type, the important thing to keep in mind is that treating any flu virus is the same. Dr. Tong advises, “Wash your hands, cover your mouth or your child’s mouth when he or she coughs, and isolate that person from other family members if possible, especially those who have weaker immune systems.” —Shahrzad Warkentin Featured photo: Myriams Photos via Pixabay RELATED STORIES: Parents, Don’t Fall for These Common Flu Myths About Those Nasal Flu Sprays for Kids…Pediatricians Urge This Instead This Is the Best Time to Get Your Flu Shot, According to the CDC
