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If you are vaccinating against the coronavirus before you, remember: both before and after taking the dose, it is better not to take painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). “Their intake is not recommended just before and after each vaccination, not only for COVID-19” – emphasizes prof. Robert Flisiak. Why? The reason is important.
- Side effects after vaccination against COVID-19: injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, chills, mild fever
- Experts: These symptoms are a signal that the vaccine is doing its job and the immune system is learning to fight the coronavirus
- Prof. Robert Flisiak: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can suppress and limit the immune response. For this reason, their intake is not recommended just before and after each immunization, not just for COVID-19
- But what if we need to take a painkiller? Dr. Paul Sax: we recommend a paracetamol medication
- You can find more about the coronavirus on the Onet homepage.
Side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine: injection site pain, fatigue, headache
Specialists emphasize that it is not possible to completely eliminate the risk associated with vaccination, not only the one against COVID-19, but any other. Its administration causes a reaction of the immune system – antibodies and immune cells are produced. In some cases, the response of the immune system may be associated with the occurrence of so-called vaccine reactions or, in other words, side effects of the vaccine (remember that their occurrence is an individual matter).
- What do the side effects of the vaccine depend on?
Most side effects are mild to moderate and will disappear within a few days of onset. The most common reactions observed after administration of the vaccine are pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, myalgia, chills and mild fever. In such situations, we most often reach for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Meanwhile, experts remind that these symptoms are a signal that the vaccine is doing its job and that the immune system is learning to fight the coronavirus. “These symptoms mean that the immune system is reviving and the vaccine is working,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently.
In the same vein, Dr. Michael Mina, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, spoke. “It builds up immune memory,” said Dr. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
What do NSAIDs have to do with all of this?
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce the effect of the vaccine
Painkillers are known to negatively affect the effectiveness of influenza vaccines. Does this also apply to the COVID-19 vaccine? However, Dr. Michael Mina and other experts say it is possible. In other words, there is a risk that they may cause the body to produce fewer antibodies and inhibit other aspects of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.
Hence the recommendation to – as far as possible – avoid taking painkillers both before and after taking the preparation. In this way, the vaccine has the best chance of doing its job.
- Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, J&J – what are the side effects?
This is also confirmed by the president of the Polish Society of Epidemiologists and Doctors of Infectious Diseases and the head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology at the Medical University of Bialystok, Prof. Robert Flisiak. – Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can suppress and limit the immune response. For this reason, their intake is not recommended just before and after each vaccination, not only for COVID-19 – says Prof. Flisiak.
Of course, people who regularly take this type of preparation due to their health condition must consult their doctor about any changes.
It is also worth remembering that if you take a painkiller shortly after receiving the vaccine, it does not mean that the vaccine will be ineffective. – The influence of NSAIDs on the immune system at low doses of the drug is small – emphasizes prof. Flisiak. So there is no risk that the body’s immune response to the vaccine will be blocked, but it may be weaker.
Vaccination against COVID-19. Which drugs are better to give up, which can be used?
Let us remind you that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in addition to their anti-inflammatory properties, relieve pain and have antipyretic properties. Among the preparations that are not recommended to be taken before and after vaccination, specialists mention those containing ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid or naproxen.
What if I have pain or a fever after the vaccination? The CDC suggests that you apply cold compresses to the sore area, exercise your arm a little, and drink plenty of fluids. If redness or swelling worsens after 24 hours, or if flu-like symptoms persist for several days, see your doctor, the CDC advises.
- Can I drink alcohol before and after the COVID-19 vaccine?
Dr hab. Piotr Rzymski from the Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Karol Marcinkowski in Poznań advises: – As long as we do not have a very high temperature, it is better not to take any medications at all, but let the body do its job.
What if we have to take a painkiller? “We recommend a paracetamol medication,” said Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “There is still a theoretical concern about ibuprofen, although it’s probably okay,” says Sax to Elemental.
– We also know that it has the least impact on the immune system – notes the head of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Medical University of Lublin, Prof. Krzysztof Tomasiewicz.
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