Don’t give your child pain relievers before COVID vaccination, CDC warns. Here’s why
Now that millions of children ages 5-11 can receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, health experts are sharing the same advice they gave to adults: Don’t give kids pain relievers such as ibuprofen, aspirin and acetaminophen before vaccination.
It may be a tempting option to avoid a fussy child by preventing uncomfortable side effects the shots may cause, but it’s unclear how these medications might affect antibody responses to the vaccine. Research on pain relievers in combination with COVID-19 vaccines is lacking.
“It is not known how these medications might affect how well the vaccine works,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. “However, if you take these medications regularly for other reasons, you should keep taking them before you get vaccinated.”
The CDC also warns against giving your child or teen antihistamines, or allergy medications, to prevent allergic reactions.
“There are data in the vaccine literature, long predating COVID-19 and almost all [done] in children, that premedication with [fever-reducing drugs] like acetaminophen or ibuprofen decrease the antibody response to the first dose of vaccine,” Dr. David Cennimo, an infectious disease physician and assistant professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, told Healthline in January.
Medications such as Advil and Motrin may interfere with the body’s natural inflammatory response to a vaccine, which manifests as the commonly reported side effects of muscle aches, fever and headaches. This response is expected and proof your body is creating a defense against the vaccine by spurring antibody production.
But with anti-inflammatory drugs in your system, your body’s ability to respond with its fullest capacity could be thwarted. Children or teens who regularly take pain relievers for other conditions are an exception.
“Though we have not studied the effects of over-the-counter medications given prior to the COVID-19 vaccine, we do have as a resource a couple smaller studies done with other vaccines,” Dr. Kristina Deeter, pediatric intensivist at Renown Children’s Hospital in Nevada and specialty medical officer for pediatric critical care medicine at Pediatrix Medical Group, told McClatchy News in an email.
Deeter said a 2009 study showed decreased antibody levels to childhood vaccines when Tylenol was given to 459 infants beforehand, however the work was “not by any means robust or followed up with many other studies.”
“Though we have no better evidence than this, currently, most pediatricians will advise to take Tylenol and/or Motrin after any vaccine as a response to side effects, like a sore arm, but to not pre-treat your child with Tylenol,” Deeter said.
“Again, no studies have been done on the effect of medications taken before the COVID-19 vaccine.”
It is OK, however, to give your kid pain relievers after COVID-19 vaccination, though you should speak with your child’s doctor for advice on what medications would be best.
The CDC says aspirin is not recommended for children and teens as a pain or fever reducer because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome.
Reye’s syndrome is a rare yet serious condition that triggers swelling in the liver and brain, mostly in children and teens recovering from a viral infection such as the flu or chickenpox, according to MayoClinic.
Aspirin has been connected to the condition. Early signs of Reye’s syndrome include vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing and sleepiness. More serious symptoms include aggressive behavior, confusion, seizures and arm or leg weakness.
Experts suggest acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) as safer alternatives for post-vaccination relief.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Don’t give your child pain relievers before COVID vaccination, CDC warns. Here’s why."
