Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may decrease the effectiveness of the vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are offered to a growing number of people. Vaccine recipients usually have minimal side effects – the most common being temporary pain and swelling at the injection site, fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches and headaches and headaches.
While these side effects are generally a minor nuisance for most people, some try to prevent them by taking over-the-counter painkillers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (e.g., Motrin, Advil). However, experts said that these drugs could not only relieve the pain, but could stop the vaccine from working completely.
“We do not recommend premedication with ibuprofen or Tylenol prior to COVID-19 vaccines due to a lack of data on the impact of vaccine-induced antibody responses,” said Dr. Simone Wildes, an infectious disease specialist at South Shore Medical Center and a member for Massachusetts COVID-19 vaccine advisory group told ABC News.
The side effects of vaccines are caused by the activation of the immune system, which means that the immune system works and begins to build immunity to COVID-19 – that’s what we want. These painkillers are anti-inflammatory drugs. They impede the functioning of parts of the immune system and slow down the immune response. There is a theory that taking these drugs before immunization can reduce their effectiveness.
A study from Duke University found that children who took painkillers before childhood vaccines had fewer antibodies than those who did not take the drugs, which could mean less protection. However, there were still levels of protective antibodies, despite blunting.
“You would always want an optimal response to your vaccine,” Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist and professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told ABC News. We recommend that unless people have a substantial reaction to the first dose they take. [pain killers]. “
“The vast majority of people have a kind of painful arm,” Schaffner said, “but otherwise, they feel pretty good.”
While experts recommend that you do not take over-the-counter painkillers before the vaccine, they say you should continue to take them if you are already doing so for another condition. Schaffner warned that stopping these drugs can cause unintended problems and can be more harmful than beneficial.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you monitor for side effects after you have been shot. As painkillers and fever reducers are not intended for use before symptoms occur, talk to your doctor before vaccination to decide if you should take any over-the-counter painkillers after receiving the vaccine.
Other more natural ways to reduce pain and discomfort include: applying a clean, cool, damp towel over the injection site and arm movement or exercise. And for fever, drink plenty of fluids and dress lightly.
“If fever, chills, headaches develop after the injection,” use painkillers to help with the symptoms, but not before they develop and report any significant side effects to a medical professional, Wildes said.
Sean Llewellyn, MD, Ph.D., is a resident physician in family medicine at the University of Colorado and a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.