- Aches and fever are common side effects of coronavirus vaccination. But will taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen affect how well the vaccine works?
- The side effects show that the vaccine is teaching your immune system how to recognize and attack SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, if it encounters it.
- Experts say do not take pain relievers before your vaccine.
The coronavirus vaccine helps protect you from getting COVID-19. It can also prevent you from having the long-lasting health problems experienced by some COVID-19 patients, or “COVID-19 long haulers.”
As with all vaccines, you may have some side effects, such as pain or swelling at the site of the injection, fever, chills, tiredness, or headache.
Dr. David J. Cennimo, an infectious disease physician and assistant professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, said these are “signs of an appropriate recognition and immune reaction to the vaccine.”
The side effects show that the vaccine is teaching your immune system how to recognize and attack SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, if it encounters it.
Although some of the vaccine side effects are similar to the
For most people, the side effects of the vaccine are mild or moderate and last only a day or two. However, for some people the side effects make them feel like they have the flu, or affect their ability to perform daily activities.
Faced with a couple of days of flu-like discomfort, many people — including physicians — will reach for an over-the-counter medication such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) to relieve their fever and pain.
But if these drugs reduce the side effects of the vaccine, is there a chance that they’ll also depress the immune system’s beneficial response to vaccination?
Source: healthline