Does your child need more than one flu shot this year?

Ahead of what may be an intense flu season, the American Academy of Pediatrics urged parents on Tuesday to make sure their children are vaccinated against the flu this fall, adding that some kids may need more than one flu shot.

The recommendation that some children need two flu shots is not new, but experts say it's particularly important after two years of the Covid pandemic.

Children ages 6 months through 8 years old who've either never received a flu shot or who've only ever had a single flu shot should get two this year, a month apart, for maximum protection.

The recommendation comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has advised this strategy since the 2009 H1N1 epidemic. Last month, the agency reminded parents that some children may need a second shot.

This strategy may have an even greater impact during the 2022-2023 flu season, experts said, because the number of children getting flu shots and other recommended vaccines has slowed in recent years.

Spread of flu dropped precipitously once the pandemic began — likely because of social distancing measures, said Dr. Buddy Creech, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

The ensuing decrease in flu activity, Creech surmised, meant families were less likely to get their kids to regular wellness checks.

"Folks weren't going in for routine vaccines," he said. "The sense of urgency wasn't there."

Dr. Mark Kline, physician-in-chief at Children's Hospital New Orleans, agreed. "We haven't had much flu, so people haven't really been motivated to go out and get their kids vaccinated."

The gap has left a large proportion of children unexposed to influenza and therefore vulnerable to the virus.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

But flu activity in the Southern Hemisphere has surged recently, which could be an early indicator of what the United States might experience.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children 6 months and older get vaccinated for influenza this fall, preferably by the end of October.

"Vaccines remain the best way to prevent severe illness and keep kids in classrooms," according to the AAP.

Doctors also encourage pregnant women to get flu shots, as they've been shown to provide lasting protection to their newborn infants up to six months of age.

Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook.