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Getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Avoid taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen ahead of time, say experts who fear these over-the-counter pain relievers may tarnish the vaccine’s effectiveness.
The two coronavirus vaccines that have received emergency approval in the United States – one developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and the other by Moderna – can cause side effects after administration, such as pain and swelling at the injection site and / or fever, chills, and headache, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To try to prevent some of these side effects, some people receiving the vaccine may choose to take over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen).
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Avoid taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen ahead of time, say experts who fear these over-the-counter pain relievers may tarnish the vaccine’s effectiveness.
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But it could impact the effectiveness of vaccines, experts warn.
“I don’t recommend that people take anything before the vaccine to avoid side effects. We are still learning about the potential impact of ibuprofen or acetaminophen – we need more data, ”said Dr. John Whyte, chief medical officer of the WebMD healthcare website. , told Fox News in an email.
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“There is no real value in taking these drugs before vaccination; these drugs are used when you have symptoms so as not to prevent the symptoms,” he added.
Having uncomfortable symptoms after a vaccine, such as a feeling of fever or pain, are signs that the immune system is working to build immunity against a virus, or COVID-19 in this case.
But taking pain relievers before receiving the vaccine could interfere with the body’s ability to make antibodies against the virus, as these over-the-counter drugs can slow the immune response, experts theorized, largely pointing to a study by the virus. Duke University who found children. who took pain relievers before receiving childhood vaccines had lower antibody levels afterwards than those who did not.
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“Our recommendations say that you shouldn’t take any pain reliever before vaccination to protect yourself from the pain you might expect. But I’ll just remind people – first of all when you feel this pain it means the vaccine is working, which can be a good signal for some people, ”said Dr. John Brooks, a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the agency’s chief medical officer for the COVID-19 response, during a recent press briefing with the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
“There are theoretical reasons why in a small number of people [pain] could be of concern, [which is why] we only recommend that you take a [pain killer] after vaccination if it is necessary, “he added.” You should not take any medications, in general, unless there is an indication [that it’s needed] – I would limit what I expose myself [unless] I really need it.”
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On its website, the CDC advises placing a clean, cool, and damp washcloth over the injection site in case of pain, also recommending “using or exercising your arm” to reduce any discomfort.
The federal agency also advises to “drink plenty of fluids” and “dress lightly” if you have a fever.
Those who experience increased redness or tenderness at the injection site 24 hours after receiving the vaccine, or who have “worrying” side effects that don’t go away after a few days should talk to their doctor, according to the CDC. .
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