LOS ANGELES - Minor pains, including muscle aches and headaches, are usual side effects reported by those who get the COVID-19 vaccine, and many people may think it beneficial to pre-medicate with a pain reliever as a preventative measure prior to vaccination.
But experts warn that common over-the-counter pain relievers could interfere with the body’s immune response that triggers protection from illness caused by the novel coronavirus.According to Dr.
Anita Gupta, a professor and anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin may actually be decreasing the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine."If you are pre-medicating before a vaccination, you really shouldn’t," said Gupta. "The reason for that.