It is known that the COVID-19 vaccine can cause some people to have flu-like symptoms, arm pain or other side effects. To avoid this discomfort, you may be tempted to take a pain reliever before receiving the injection.
However, experts say this is a mistake.
Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious disease specialist and director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group in Rochester, Minnesota, told AARP that taking an over-the-counter drug like ibuprofen or paracetamol may reduce the vaccine’s effectiveness.
Poland is not alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also warn against the use of such drugs before vaccination.
Why to worry? Poland claims that some studies indicate a link between taking these drugs before vaccination and a decreased immune system response. This may mean that your body will have a harder time recognizing COVID-19 infection in the future and fighting it if it occurs.
In turn, the CDC simply warns that “routine prophylactic administration of these drugs for the purpose of preventing post-vaccine symptoms is not currently recommended” because it is currently not known how the practice affects the vaccine-induced antibody responses.
However, both Poland and the CDC say it is okay to take these drugs after receiving the vaccine, if it helps to avoid side effects such as fever or pain at the injection site.
In addition, the evidence linking the use of pre-vaccination medication to a weakened immune response is inconclusive. So if you take a pain reliever to fight something like severe arthritis pain, talk to your doctor before you get vaccinated, says Poland. In that case, it may make sense to take the medicine.
Many pharmacies are currently preparing to supply COVID-19 vaccines to people in the United States. For more information, see “21 Pharmacy Networks Ready to Administer COVID-19 Vaccines”.
For more information on COVID-19, read “The next 5 groups that will receive the COVID-19 vaccine”.
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