Key TakeawaysThe purpose of vaccinations is to prepare your immune system to protect you against a virus.Symptoms such as pain or fever are indicators that your immune system is doing its job.Using over-the-counter medications to reduce the discomfort of a vaccination may dampen your immune system’s reaction.

Key Takeaways

The purpose of vaccinations is to prepare your immune system to protect you against a virus.Symptoms such as pain or fever are indicators that your immune system is doing its job.Using over-the-counter medications to reduce the discomfort of a vaccination may dampen your immune system’s reaction.

Like any vaccine, a COVID-19 vaccine may cause pain, swelling, and fever after being administered. Noticing those mild symptoms is a sign that the vaccine is working and your immune system has started to create the antibodies that will fend off the real virus if you happen to be exposed to it. The process of a vaccine nudging the immune system into action is called reactogenicity.

5 Ways To Prepare for Your COVID-19 Vaccination

In a study recently published in theJournal of Virology,the researchers from Yale studied the effect of NSAIDs on SARS-CoV-2 in human lung cells in vitro and in infected live mice.They focused on the effects of the NSAIDs ibuprofen,and meloxicam, which often is prescribed for orthopedic injuries or arthritis. Results of the study showed that although NSAIDs dampen the inflammatory cytokines associated with severe COVID-19 infections (a good thing), they also dampen the production of protective antibodies against the virus (a bad thing).

“If you have mild symptoms just after getting the vaccination, try to tough it out. If you can’t tolerate the temporary discomfort, I would use acetaminophen (Tylenol) over an NSAID,”Craig B. Wilen, MD, PhD, an immunobiologist in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and a lead researcher from the study, tells Verywell. “Our study was early so there are no firm recommendations, but based on other studies of NSAID use with vaccinations, the theory is that NSAIDs decrease the antibody response.”

Craig B. Wilen, MD, PhDIf you have mild symptoms just after getting the vaccination, try to tough it out. If you can’t tolerate the temporary discomfort, I would use acetaminophen over an NSAID.

Craig B. Wilen, MD, PhD

If you have mild symptoms just after getting the vaccination, try to tough it out. If you can’t tolerate the temporary discomfort, I would use acetaminophen over an NSAID.

One study from 2016 showed that the timing of when a pain reliever/fever reducer was taken had an effect on the production of antibodies following a vaccination “with novel antigens.” The most dampened immune response was seen when the pain relievers were taken at the time of vaccination. When ibuprofen was takenaftervaccination, there was less of a negative impact on antibody production, especially at 5 and 6 days after vaccination. Days 1 to 3 after vaccination did show a suppression of antibodies.

If Your Doctor Prescribed NSAIDs For Other Conditions, Keep Taking ThemIf you have already received a COVID-19 vaccination and have been taking NSAIDs long term for chronic conditions or even a daily low-dose aspirin to protect against stroke, don’t worry, says Wilen. “You will still have some level of protection. The protective effect of the medication your doctor prescribed is more important than higher antibody titers. And a year from now we will know more about how often boosters are needed.”

If Your Doctor Prescribed NSAIDs For Other Conditions, Keep Taking Them

If you have already received a COVID-19 vaccination and have been taking NSAIDs long term for chronic conditions or even a daily low-dose aspirin to protect against stroke, don’t worry, says Wilen. “You will still have some level of protection. The protective effect of the medication your doctor prescribed is more important than higher antibody titers. And a year from now we will know more about how often boosters are needed.”

Smiling During an Injection Can Help With Pain and Stress, Study Finds

“Go get vaccinated, have a smile on your face, and be grateful that science was able to create a vaccine so quickly,” Wilen says.

Once you get the COVID-19 vaccine, you should continue to take the following precautions to avoid contracting or spreading the virus:

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Chen JS, Alfajaro MM, Chow RD, et al.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs dampen the cytokine and antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.J Virol. :JVI.00014-21, jvi;JVI.00014-21v1. doi:10.1128/JVI.00014-21Saleh E, Moody MA, Walter EB.Effect of antipyretic analgesics on immune responses to vaccination.Hum Vaccine Immunother.2016 Sep; 12(9):2391-2402. doi:10.1080/21645515.2016.1183077Dunford E, Thompson M.Relaxation and mindfulness in pain: a review.Rev Pain. 2010 Mar; 4(1):18-22. doi:10.1177/204946371000400105

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Chen JS, Alfajaro MM, Chow RD, et al.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs dampen the cytokine and antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.J Virol. :JVI.00014-21, jvi;JVI.00014-21v1. doi:10.1128/JVI.00014-21Saleh E, Moody MA, Walter EB.Effect of antipyretic analgesics on immune responses to vaccination.Hum Vaccine Immunother.2016 Sep; 12(9):2391-2402. doi:10.1080/21645515.2016.1183077Dunford E, Thompson M.Relaxation and mindfulness in pain: a review.Rev Pain. 2010 Mar; 4(1):18-22. doi:10.1177/204946371000400105

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Chen JS, Alfajaro MM, Chow RD, et al.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs dampen the cytokine and antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.J Virol. :JVI.00014-21, jvi;JVI.00014-21v1. doi:10.1128/JVI.00014-21Saleh E, Moody MA, Walter EB.Effect of antipyretic analgesics on immune responses to vaccination.Hum Vaccine Immunother.2016 Sep; 12(9):2391-2402. doi:10.1080/21645515.2016.1183077Dunford E, Thompson M.Relaxation and mindfulness in pain: a review.Rev Pain. 2010 Mar; 4(1):18-22. doi:10.1177/204946371000400105

Chen JS, Alfajaro MM, Chow RD, et al.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs dampen the cytokine and antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.J Virol. :JVI.00014-21, jvi;JVI.00014-21v1. doi:10.1128/JVI.00014-21

Saleh E, Moody MA, Walter EB.Effect of antipyretic analgesics on immune responses to vaccination.Hum Vaccine Immunother.2016 Sep; 12(9):2391-2402. doi:10.1080/21645515.2016.1183077

Dunford E, Thompson M.Relaxation and mindfulness in pain: a review.Rev Pain. 2010 Mar; 4(1):18-22. doi:10.1177/204946371000400105

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?