If You Forget And Get Two Flu Shots, Is It Dangerous?

Uh oh. I feel like the worst mom ever. Before I explain, can we all agree that life gets busy at times?  I have a family of five, and there have been lots and lots of vaccines lately.  Between two different COVID shots, two different boosters, plus regular vaccinations for school and sports, my head was spinning.  Add flu shots for all five of us to the mix and I was bound to screw up.

I was laying in bed feeling very pleased with my momming that day.  As I drifted off into my slumber, I marveled at how I was able to work a full day, get my middle child’s sports physical taken care of, update all her shots, and to top it off, I even got the pot roast in the crockpot on time.  I was perfectly at peace until I realized that I already got my child a flu vaccine, yes I double dipped.

It is so easy to do when you pop into a drug store to just get it, and in my case, I forgot we even did it at all.  (In my defense, they shell those things out like Tic Tacs).  Now, I'm left wondering did I poison my kid?  Will she grow a third arm?  What in the world did I do?   

If You Get An Extra Flu Shot By Mistake Does It Hurt You?

The short answer is no, you will be just fine. Whew!  My child is over 9 years old but kids that age actually do get two shots the first time. 

For an older child or adult, two flu shots are not necessary, but they are not going to be dangerous. 

If you overdid your flu shot this season, you can and should still get your flu shot next season. 

The doc said that you would have to get dozens of flu shots before it caused you any harm. 

How Do I Know If I Have The Flu Or Just A Cold?

These are the questions you should answer to help determine if you have the flu:

Do you have a high fever?

Do you have a stuffy nose? 

Do you have a headache?

Do you have a severe cough?

Do you have severe aches and pains?

Do you feel fatigued?

Do you have a sore throat?

Do you have chills? 

Are you throwing up?

If you have more than three of these together, then you probably have the flu.

To be sure, you can take a flu test like an RIDT or a Rapid Molecular Assays test which is more accurate.

We are all trying to avoid the flu but whatever you do, don't use Clorox wipes on these items!