People should avoid taking pain relievers such as ibuprofen right before getting a COVID-19 vaccine, which may affect the body's immune response, experts told USA Today.
The CDC and World Health Organization both recommend against the preventive use of pain relievers before getting a vaccine, USA Today reported. But the organizations say it's fine to take pain relievers after getting a vaccine if symptoms develop.
A study published in the Journal of Virology found that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, can reduce the production of antibodies. Pain relievers may reduce inflammation triggered by the immune system, according to USA Today.
A 2016 study from Duke University found children who took pain relievers before getting various vaccines had fewer antibodies than those who didn't, USA Today reported.
But there haven't been enough studies to draw a definitive conclusion on painkillers' effects on vaccine efficacy. There's no data showing a reduced immune response if patients take painkillers after getting a vaccine, experts told USA Today.
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