Avoid pain relievers and alcohol before, after the COVID vaccine

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Alcohol

There is no published data yet on the effects of alcohol on the human body’s response to COVID-19 vaccination, but evidence shows that alcohol consumption could interfere with the body’s ability to build a immunity in response to vaccines. Heavy and regular drinkers are particularly at high risk.2

Hana Mohammed El Sahly, MD, national co-chair of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial, said in a statement that individuals are not asked to refrain from drinking occasional or moderate amounts of alcohol before get vaccinated as this should not affect the vaccine. efficiency.3

Related: COVID-19 Patients Have Painful Eyes, Sensitivity To Light, Itching

Recommendations

But excessive alcohol consumption should be avoided when approaching vaccination, says Christopher Thompson, PhD, associate professor in the biology department at Loyola University in Md., Who specializes in immunology and microbiology.

“Ideally, binge drinking would be avoided for at least a week before the first dose and 1 month after the second dose,” says Thompson.

Drinkaware, an independent medical advisory committee for alcohol education, also released a statement asking people to consider the possible benefits of not drinking alcohol before and after being vaccinated.4

“If you are a heavy drinker on a regular basis, the risks for you of becoming seriously ill if you contract COVID-19 are particularly high, so please respect your appointment for the vaccination if you are offered one,” said the president of the panel, Fiona Sim, MB, BS, MSc, LLM, FRCP, FFPH.

“We recommend that you consider not drinking for 2 days before and up to 2 weeks after being vaccinated to try to make sure your immune system is at its best to respond to the vaccine and protect you. But it’s really important to know that even if you drink, you will still benefit from the jab.

When an active COVID-19 infection has been contracted, Dr Sim says individuals should avoid alcohol until they have fully recovered. This protects the immune system and allows it to fight the virus more effectively.4

Related: 9 Months of COVID Vaccine Innovation

Pain relief

Although generally tolerable, some people try to prevent the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine by first taking common over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil). Experts warn that these drugs could not only ease pain, but could potentially alleviate vaccine side effects and side effects.

The United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) reports that the most common side effects of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which typically lasted for several days, were injection site pain, fatigue, headache. head, muscle pain, chills, joint pain and fever. .5.6

Recommendations

“We do not recommend premedication with ibuprofen or Tylenol before COVID-19 vaccines due to the lack of data on their impact on vaccine-induced antibody responses, ”says Simone Wildes, MD, infectious disease specialist at South Shore Medical Center and member of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group, in a statement.

Taking medicines before vaccination can reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine by preventing parts of the immune system from working or by slowing the immune response.7

A 2016 study from Duke University of children found that those who took pain relievers before receiving vaccines had fewer antibodies than those who did not take the drugs beforehand.8 However, there were still protective antibody levels despite the lower numbers.

William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said in a statement: “People who are already taking pain relievers for another medical condition should continue to take them because stopping routine medications could cause severe pain. unintentional problems and be more harmful than the vaccine’s potential reduced. efficiency.”7

The references

1. White House. Biden-Harris plan to beat COVID-19. Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/priorities/covid-19/. Accessed 2/2/2021.

2. Zimmermann P, Curtis N. Factors that influence the immune response to vaccination. Clin Microbiol Rev. March 13, 2019; 32 (2).

3. Healthline. How alcohol may affect your response to the COVID-19 vaccine. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-alcohol-may-affect-your-response-to-the-covid-19-vaccine#Moderate-drinking-may-provide-some-benefits. Accessed 2/2/2021.

4. Drinkaware is issuing precautionary advice regarding alcohol and the Covid-19 vaccine. Drink in the know. Available at: https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/professionals/press/drinkaware-issues-precautionary-advice-about-alcohol-and-the-covid-19-vaccine. Accessed 2/2/2021.

5. Food and drug administration. Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/moderna-covid-19-vaccine#:~:text=The%20most%20commonly%20reported%20side , after% 20la% 20second% 20dose. Accessed 2/2/2021.

6. Food and drug administration. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine. Accessed 2/2/2021.

7. ABC News. Avoid preventative pain relievers before getting your COVID vaccine: experts. Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/avoid-preventive-pain-relievers-covid-vaccine-experts/story?id=75491965&fbclid=IwAR00dR5-uAhyOz5nCzWUq4R7JgR-9cJzcsUVqFTP76F76xdF76x. Accessed 2/2/2021.

8. Saleh E, Moody MA, Walter EB. Effect of antipyretic analgesics on immune responses to vaccination. Snoring vaccine immunotherm. 2016; 12 (9): 2391-2402.


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