Study: Adults Get Flu Twice a Decade, On Average

According to a new study out of Imperial College London, adults over the age of 30 only catch the flu about twice a decade. However, they noted, many other pathogens can present flu-like symptoms, making it difficult to determine how often people really have influenza.

Children, on the other hand, were found to get the flu every other year, on average.

During the study, the researchers analyzed blood samples and looked at antibody levels against nine different strains of flu that circulated between 1968 and 2009.

The study's authors noted that rhinovirus and coronavirus both present similarly to the flu, possibly leading people to assume these illnesses are influenza.

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