Will taking paracetamol for fever after vaccine reduce my immune response?

[Chillihat]

Just that really. Very grateful to have had the jab but now have a banging headache and 38C fever but feel cold.

This might be a stupid question but would it affect how my body creates the immune response to the vaccine to take paracetamol? I.e. would it reduce my immune response?

I wouldn't have thought so, if anything support it as your body won't have a fever potentially killing your antibodies

muppet disclaimer applies, I am not a doctor or scientist this is just speculation based on the small bits of knowledge I have

The doctor told me it was ok to take paracetamol but not ibuprofen.

I was told by the nurse that vaccinated to take paracetamol

John Campbell, Dr I’ve been following on YouTube said not to if you can manage without - for that reason.

The NHS leaflet I was given with the vaccine recommends taking paracetamol.

That's interesting @Blerg. Don't suppose you have a link?

@Chillihat I can’t remember which of his videos I saw it on (and it might have been more than one) but this one looks like it covers it: m.youtube.com/watch?v=171J_hC83XU

Hope you feel better soon. I had my jab today so anticipating I might be in this position soon.

They had this question on the BBC news and the answer was yes, it's perfectly OK to take paracetamol and it won't affect your immune response at all.

I was told I could take paracetamol but not ibuprofen

Not if you can manage without. G.P told me not to give my DD medication like calpol etc after her chicken pox vaccine.

• Sorry not G.P the nurse who carried out the vaccination!

Try to do without. Fever is part of your body mounting a response

There is some evidence that taking antipyrexics reduces the response to the vaccine

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5027726/

but it does not occur to an extent that causes concern. So if you are in pain, do not refrain from using painkillers because they also bring down temperature

I’m sure the leaflet I got after mine specifically said take paracetamol if you need to. The nurse told both me and DP to take paracetamol. I felt a bit achey and mild cold the next day and I took some and felt instantly ok.

@SexTrainGlue thanks for that article, really interesting. I think I will try to do without for now but will definitely take some paracetamol before bed if it's still bad as I think a bad night's sleep would be worse for my immune system than the risk of the paracetamol dulling the immune response.

Surprised there hasn't been more research done on this.

I think the advice is not to take it prophylactically beforehand but once you've had the jab you can. The data supporting this is quite weak anyway imho, so if you need it I'd take it

I've had to tKe. It for past 48 hours as my Temp has been tuck at 40. Felt. So Ill I was hallucinating looking for a fire to put out as I was so hot.
Not good :-( in fact never felt that poorly before.
Would Hate to have had to go thru that and the vaccine isn't going to work.

I wondered about taking prophylactic paracetamol before the vaccine and did some research. They actually did this during the AZ trial (no idea about Pfizer as I knew I was getting AZ) so I can't imagine there is the slightest problem in taking it afterwards if you need it. I didn't bother taking it prophylactically in the end, but I'm sure it's perfectly safe.

I've had mine today and just took some Ibuprofen... I thought it was okay?

@rainbowruthie

I was told by the nurse that vaccinated to take paracetamol

Same here.

I was told I could take paracetamol if necessary.. and did for the headache

@Blerg

John Campbell, Dr I’ve been following on YouTube said not to if you can manage without - for that reason.

Yes , he does say that fever improves the immune response and not to take anti fever medication if possible. Having said that I, like many, had no fever and it doesn't mean the vaccine didn't work.

I just took one paracetamol before bed and managed to sleep (although woke up frequently) for 10 hours! Spent most of the night covered in sweat but feel a lot better this morning and headache is much better.

The NHS is notorious for using paracetamol to treat everything. Both after a caesarian and having my appendix out I was just casually told just to take paracetamol despite being in agonising pain.

Anyway, that's beside the point. I really think they should research ways to improve the immune response after vaccines as it could make a real difference, especially at a public health level. I know it is advised not to drink alcohol for 2 weeks afterwards but this isn't publicised at all.

I had Pizer yesterday and was both told and it states in the leaflet they give you that paracetamol is advised for any pain following the vaccination .

The doctor who did mine said that taking paracetamol,and pain killers was perfectly fine in response to issues following the vaccine.

I've had a sore arm and headache the day after my vaccine, and used painkillers. Headache went the day after. Still have a bit of a numb and warm sore arm but it's fine. Weird bit is under my arm, below or opposite the jab site on the other side of arm is more sore than the jab site itself.

I often get swellings after a vaccine. This one is much less than the flu jab I had a couple of years ago when my upper arm swelled massively!

I know it is advised not to drink alcohol for 2 weeks afterwards but this isn't publicised at all.

Who advises this?