By no means immune Children often get flu several times in one season

No protection: children can fall ill twice during a flu season
While humans can become immune to viral infections, that's not always true. For example, Austrian scientists have found that children can also get flu twice in a single season if they become infected with different virus strains.

Viral infection does not always make you immune
It has been reported over the past few weeks that there may be more influenza cases this season than last winter. This assumption was voiced among other things because the current flu season began much earlier than usual. Anyone who has a disease behind them, but can not sit back and relax, to be immune to the assumption against the virus infection. Even after illness has passed, there is no protection against the flu.

Children are not immune to the disease after a flu has survived. You can catch an infection twice within one season. (Image: Daniel Jędzura / fotolia.com)

Two illnesses in one season
Researchers from the University of Innsbruck (Austria) have found that children can catch the flu twice a season when they become infected with different virus strains, the Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ) reports on its website "kinderaerzte-im- netz.de ".

According to the researchers, in the flu season 2014/15, 647 children with influenza symptoms, such as high fever, had identified 13 children who had two flu episodes.

According to the BVKJ, the average duration of the two illnesses was 50 days (24 to 70 days). The affected children did not suffer from pre-existing conditions or immunodeficiency. The experts published their findings in the journal "Journal of Infectious Diseases".

Influenza viruses are constantly changing
It's not particularly surprising that a healthy flu does not make you immune. After all, the flu viruses are constantly changing. Those who want to protect themselves with a vaccine, therefore, have to be vaccinated every year again.

As the BVKJ writes, children with chronic bronchitis, metabolic disorders, diseases of the cardiovascular system and the kidney or with neurological disabilities should be vaccinated against influenza.

For some years, a nasal spray for children as a flu vaccine is available, for which the health insurance in some cases take over the costs.

Protect yourself against infections
Whether a flu vaccine makes sense, parents have to decide for themselves and their offspring. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) will recommend that people over the age of 60, pregnant women, the chronically ill, residents of retirement and nursing homes as well as medical staff be vaccinated against influenza. Ultimately, however, in the flu vaccine pros and cons weigh against each other.

In order to protect yourself, it makes sense to stay away from patients and to strengthen the immune system.

The peak of a flu epidemic is usually reached between December and April. During this time usually circulate three to four strains of bacteria, which can lead to influenza in humans.

According to the BVKJ, two or three influenza A virus strains and one influenza B virus strain have been circulating in recent years. The flu vaccines for 2016/2017 therefore contain variants of the influenza A strains H1N1 and H3N2 as well as of influenza B strains. (Ad)