Can I take painkillers before or after a COVID-19 vaccine?
It is best to avoid them, unless you habitually lead them to an illness. Although the evidence is limited, some painkillers can interfere with the purpose of making the vaccine: to generate a strong immune system response.
Vaccines work by fooling the body into thinking it has a virus and defending itself against it. This can cause arm pain, fever, headache, muscle aches or other temporary symptoms of inflammation that may be part of this reaction.
“These symptoms mean your immune system is boosting and the vaccine is working,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a recent news release.
Some painkillers targeted at inflammation, including ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, and other brands), could slow down the immune response. A study on mice in the Journal of Virology found that these drugs could reduce the production of antibodies, useful substances that block the virus from cell infection.
If you are already taking one of these medications for a health condition, you should not stop before taking the vaccine, at least without asking your doctor, said Jonathan Watanabe, a pharmacist at the University of California, Irvine .
People should not take an analgesic as a preventative measure before taking a vaccine unless a doctor has told them to, he said. The same goes for a shot: “If you don’t have to grab it, you shouldn’t do it,” Watanabe said.
If you need it, acetaminophen (Tylenol) “is safer because it doesn’t alter your immune response,” he added.
The CDC offers other tips, such as keeping a damp, cool cloth over the shooting area and exercising that arm. For fever, drink plenty of fluids and dress lightly.
See your doctor if you increase redness or tenderness in your arm after a day or if side effects do not go away after a few days, according to the CDC.
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The AP answers your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Send them to: [email protected]. Read more here:
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