Can you get the flu again?

Nicecupoftea · ‎03-09-2010

DH and I had our flu shots in October. Then we got the flu at the beginning of December. It was a nasty experience and took a lot of getting over. Now I'm worried about catching the flu again -this strain - this year! Does anyone have any medical knowledge on this subject. I have researched a lot but cannot get a specific answer. I am well aware that we'll need flu shots again next year.

Jersey Born · ‎03-10-2010

Good evening, Nicecupoftea. When you say you and your husband got the flu in December, do you mean that you were swabbed and typed, so that you definitely know that you had influenza as opposed to some other respiratory illness like parainfluenza?

A person can get one of hundreds of types of influenza A, B, or C with different strains and different lineages, or they can get a number of other types of respiratory illnesses with identical symptoms. Sometimes, if you get influenza, there is cross-protection against some other similar strains of influenza, which is a great thing.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/types.htm

If you truly did have influenza, you may now be immune to that exact and similar strains of influenza for the remainder of your life.

Nicecupoftea · ‎03-09-2010

yes we had the 'up the nose swab' test. I am hoping that the combination of the flu shot and the strain we did get in December will keep us safe for at least this year. Thank you for answering my question.

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

The flu shot did nothing for you. It was a totally different bear than the one that is raging throughout the country. I did test positive for it, once in late November and again near Christmas (I think Dec 20). I don't know if there was a problem with the methodology or that I still had same flu but I should not have been contagious after 5 days, which meant I should not be carrying. Not sure what happened. I did have bronchitis the first time with the first positive nasal swabs and had bilobar pneumonia the second time with the positive nasal swabs and CXR and even on both followup CXRs, I still have some infiltrates. Both were same type flu. Who knows? CDC missed so bad on this one, it makes one wonder if it was by intent.

pupwhipped · ‎03-11-2010

I will tell you what my doctor told me last year. Hubby and I DID NOT get the flu shots and we got the flu in December...hubby on Christmas Eve, and me two days later. Neither one of us can recall ever having the flu before. I went to the doctor, had the test to confirm it indeed was influenza, and then starting taking Tamiflu. I asked my doctor if I should get a flu shot after I got to feeling better. He said it would be highly unlikely I would get flu for the remainder of the season. I think your body builds up antibodies to the particular strain you have. And I did have the most common strain that was going around last year.

That's all I know, other then hubby and I did get the flu shot this year and we will get it from now on. I am sorry you and your husband contracted it. I've said before that I may get the flu again, but it will not be because I didn't get the flu shot.

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

On 12/31/2014 pupwhipped said:
I will tell you what my doctor told me last year. Hubby and I DID NOT get the flu shots and we got the flu in December...hubby on Christmas Eve, and me two days later. Neither one of us can recall ever having the flu before. I went to the doctor, had the test to confirm it indeed was influenza, and then starting taking Tamiflu. I asked my doctor if I should get a flu shot after I got to feeling better. He said it would be highly unlikely I would get flu for the remainder of the season. I think your body builds up antibodies to the particular strain you have. And I did have the most common strain that was going around last year.

That's all I know, other then hubby and I did get the flu shot this year and we will get it from now on. I am sorry you and your husband contracted it. I've said before that I may get the flu again, but it will not be because I didn't get the flu shot.

Flu shot this year was all wrong. It was a totally different type flu. So don't worry about getting the flu shot. This is the first year I ever took it and had to for insurance reasons and I got flu for the first time in my life but, like I said, it was a different flu entirely. CDC missed this one by a mile.

OkeyDokey · ‎06-04-2010

You can absolutely develop the flu twice. Viruses mutate, and there is always A strain and B strain. Best wishes on a speedy recovery. Edited to say: Most of the time, people will build a reasonable immunity to the strain in their area after having it once. But, if you travel, if you are exposed to anyone with a different strain, under any circumstance...you can get it.

Lavenderjunkie · ‎03-10-2010

From what I have been hearing, this years flu shot is not a good match to many of the strains of flu that are out there. The flu you caught was probably one of the strains not covered by the flu shot. They make up the flu shots months in advance and it's based on projections of what they think will be the seasons flu stains. Sometimes they get a better match, sometimes not so good. This year I was told there were 3 different flu shots available.... the regular one, the double strength one for seniors (because the flu shot is less effective for older people), and an enhanced version of the regular with one extra strain covered.

You probably can't catch the same exact strain of flu again, but there are different strains and you could catch one of those.

Jersey Born · ‎03-10-2010

Namealreadytaken, why did you have to take the flu shot for insurance reasons, if I may ask?

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

On 12/31/2014 Nicecupoftea said:
DH and I had our flu shots in October. Then we got the flu at the beginning of December. It was a nasty experience and took a lot of getting over. Now I'm worried about catching the flu again -this strain - this year! Does anyone have any medical knowledge on this subject. I have researched a lot but cannot get a specific answer. I am well aware that we'll need flu shots again next year.

I'm addressing the bolded language.

When you had the flu at the beginning of December, your body created antibodies to that specific variety of virus. Those antibodies work only against that variety of virus. So...to answer your question, unless for some drastic immunological reason your body destroyed these new antibodies, you will NOT get this same flu this year. These antibodies should be with you for a while.

If you DO get the flu again during this 2014-15 flu season, it will be caused by a different virus to which you have no antibodies present in your body.