Take Tylenol or Advil before getting a coronavirus vaccine against the production of antibodies and make the shot less effective, say infectious disease specialists.
- Coronavirus vaccines are known to have side effects from both Pfizer-BioNTech, such as injection site pain, headache, fever.
- These are signs that the body is responding to the vaccine and that the immune system is making antibodies
- Infectious disease specialists warn people to use ibuprofen like Advil or paracetamol like Tylenol as a preventative.
- Painkillers can suppress parts of the immune system and inhibit the production of antibodies, which can reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine
Doctors recommend that people do not take over-the-counter painkillers before receiving a coronavirus vaccine.
Both the Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech shots are known to cause side effects such as injection site pain, headache, fever, chills and fatigue.
As a result, some people may try to prevent it by taking painkillers such as ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil) or paracetamol (Tylenol) beforehand.
Infectious disease specialists tell ABC News that the drug can suppress the immune system and prevent the production of antibodies, which can slow down the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Infectious disease specialists warn people to take ibuprofen like Advil (left) or paracetamol like Tylenol (right) as a preventative against coronavirus side effects like injection site pain, headaches and fever.
Painkillers can suppress parts of the immune system and inhibit the production of antibodies, which can reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine
“We do not recommend any pre-medication with ibuprofen or Tylenol for COVID-19 vaccines, due to the lack of data on how it affects antibody responses,” said Dr. Simone Wildes, a specialist in infectious diseases at South Shore Medical Center in Massachusetts, said. ABC News.
Vaccine side effects are not uncommon and can even occur if you get the seasonal flu shot.
When people experience mild to moderate reactions from a shot, it simply means that our bodies are responding to it.
Vaccines not only cause inflammation – because a needle is inserted into us – but they also cause the body to make a protein.
In turn, the immune system generates antibodies that can destroy this protein, such as the coronavirus.
But the use of painkillers can suppress parts of the immune system.
One theory is that many over-the-counter pain and fever-reducing drugs block the cyclooxygenase-2 (cox-2) enzyme and inhibit the production of antibodies.
This means that the drugs prevent the body from getting the full effects of the vaccination.
“You always want an optimal response to your vaccine,” said 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 significant reaction to the first dose they take [pain killers]. “Schaffner says,” but otherwise they feel pretty good. “
Previous research has shown that this is true.
A 2009 study looked at two groups of infants, one who received paracetamol before childhood, and another who did not use the drug,
One month later, the children in the treatment group had lower concentrations of antibodies than those in the control group.
However, the experts say that you can take painkillers after receiving the shot, if you experience side effects.
“If fever, chills, headache develop after the injection,” you can use pain medication without medication to cause symptoms, Wildes told ABC News.