- Experts recommend taking over-the-counter painkillers before vaccination against coronavirus, as this may affect the optimal response.
- After vaccination, you should not use medicine to deal with side effects unless you have discussed this with your doctor.
- Keep your immune system strong before and after your vaccination by limiting alcohol, getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water.
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After receiving the coronavirus vaccine, it is common for you to experience mild side effects such as soreness at the injection site, muscle aches, headaches. Some proactive people have tried to prevent the discomfort by prescribing over-the-counter painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol (sold in the US as Tylenol).
But experts are now warning against taking pain medication before vaccination, as it is unclear how it could affect the effectiveness of the shot. It is possible that they numb it by suppressing the immune response which both trains the body to repel the coronavirus and gives rise to side effects.
“We do not recommend premedication with ibuprofen or Tylenol before COVID-19 vaccines, due to the lack of data on how it affects antibody responses,” said Dr. Simone Wildes, an infectious disease specialist at South Shore Medical Center and a member. of the COVID-19 vaccine advisory group in Massachusetts, told ABC News.
However, if you are already regularly taking a pain medication for an unrelated condition, do not stop it without consulting your doctor.
Read more: Why should you wear a mask for a few months after receiving your COVID-19 vaccine?
After your vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends talking to your doctor before taking a painkiller for discomfort. Alternative ways to relieve sore arms are to cover it with a cool, wet washcloth and to keep your arm active. If you have a fever, drink plenty of fluids and lighten it up.
Call the doctor, the CDC recommends, if soreness and redness get worse after 24 hours, or if other “worrying” side effects do not subside within a few days. Call 911 if you suspect you may have a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site.
Limiting alcohol before and after your vaccine can also work its best
The vaccine works by training your immune system to ward off invaders that look like the coronavirus, so it’s in your best interest to receive them with a system that is in good condition. In other words, you want to put your best players in the game, not the ones on the injured list.
In addition to avoiding painkillers, which in turn can suppress the immune response, experts recommend limiting alcohol before and after the jab. One BBC report found that just three glasses of Prosecco was enough to reduce immune function.
Read more: What pregnant women need to know about coronavirus vaccine safety
Other ways to protect your immune system to protect you against the coronavirus and to help the vaccine is to drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, manage stress and eat a balanced diet.
While you may not be able to boost your immune system overnight, a few weeks may make a difference to the practices, Insider reported earlier.