Taking Tylenol or Advil before getting a coronavirus vaccine blocks antibody production and makes absorption less effective, infectious disease specialists say
- Coronavirus vaccines from both Pfizer-BioNTech are known to have side effects 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 against using ibuprofen such as Advil or acetaminophen such as Tylenol as a prophylactic agent
- Pain killers can suppress parts of the immune system and inhibit antibody production, decreasing the effectiveness of the vaccine
Doctors recommend that people do not use over-the-counter pain relievers before receiving a coronavirus vaccine.
Both the Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech injections are known to cause side effects such as injection site pain, headache, fever, chills and fatigue.
Therefore, some people may try to prevent them by taking painkillers such as ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) beforehand.
Now infectious disease specialists tell ABC News that the drugs can dampen the immune system and prevent the production of antibodies, decreasing the vaccine’s effectiveness.
Infectious disease specialists warn people against using ibuprofen such as Advil (left) or acetaminophen such as Tylenol (right) as a prophylactic against coronavirus vaccine side effects, such as injection site pain, headache, and fever
Pain killers can suppress parts of the immune system and inhibit antibody production, decreasing the effectiveness of the vaccine
“ We do not recommend premedication with ibuprofen or Tylenol before COVID-19 vaccines due to the lack of data on how it affects vaccine-induced antibody responses, ” said Dr. Simone Wildes, an infectious disease specialist at South Shore Medical Center in Massachusetts. . ABC news.
Side effects from vaccines are not uncommon and can even occur with getting the seasonal flu shot.
When people experience mild to moderate reactions from an injection, it simply means that our body is responding to it.
Not only do vaccines cause inflammation – because a needle is inserted into us – but they also trigger the body to make a protein.
The immune system, in turn, generates antibodies that can destroy this protein, such as the coronavirus.
But taking painkillers can suppress parts of the immune system.
One theory is that many over-the-counter pain and fever reducers block the cyclooxygenase-2 (cox-2) enzyme and inhibit antibody production.
This means that the drugs prevent the body from receiving the full effects of the immunization.
“You 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 response to the first dose they hold [pain killers]. “said Schaffner,” but otherwise they feel pretty good.
Previous research appears to support these claims.
A 2009 study looked at two groups of babies, one who received acetaminophen before they received immunizations and another who did not receive the drug.
One month later, the children in the treatment group had lower levels of antibodies than those in the control group.
However, the experts say you can take painkillers after receiving the injection if you experience side effects.
“ If a fever, chills, or headache develop after injection, ” you can use over-the-counter pain relievers to treat scabies symptoms, Wildes told ABC News.