Yes, that is possible although uncommon. The “flu” or influenza is caused by a virus. Say your brother catches flu from you; you will not catch it back from him because you become immune to that particular virus following infection. However, there are several separate strains of influenza virus, so it is theoretically possible to catch a different strain and have the illness more than once in the same season.
Influenza is an illness usually characterized by high fever, muscle aches, cough, headache and sometimes upset stomach, usually lasting about 4 or 5 days. A flu shot will usually protect against getting the flu. However, influenza is a fascinating virus in that each year the strains undergo subtle genetic changes so that the vaccine needs to be made up fresh each year and given each year to protect against that year’s prevalent strains of virus. Flu almost always occurs during the winter season of a particular geographic region. To predict the flu strains that are likely to infect the United States, scientists test the strains that are prevalent in Asia the preceding spring and summer, and use these to create the flu vaccine for the year. Occasionally the scientists miss an important strain and then the vaccine may be less effective than usual (but still worth getting, because it will protect against some infections.)
Sometimes flu can have complications such as pneumonia, sinus infections, asthma flare-ups or ear infections. So if a person is having new symptoms shortly after experiencing the flu, it is wise to be checked to make sure it isn’t something else that might need specific treatment.
You're not alone. Take a look at a few of the questions related to this topic that other teens have asked us.
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For more information, check out these articles:
Test Your Flu IQ
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Posted 2-26-06
