1 month ago
1
For The Union-Tribune
No pain, less gain
Researchers are now advising folks who get a flu shot to consider refraining from taking a pain reliever like aspirin, Advil or Aleve after inoculation because it can dampen production of necessary antibodies that protect against viral illness.
Many over-the-counter pain and fever-reducers are classified as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which act in part by blocking the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme.
But blocking the COX-2 enzyme hinders vaccination because the enzyme plays a critical role in helping the immune system produce B-lymphocytes — the white blood cells responsible for creating protective antibodies.
When people take medications like Advil for discomfort at the injection site, they’re also inadvertently reducing the ability of these B cells to make the antibodies that protect against the flu.
“Unless your health care provider tells you otherwise, it’s best not to take pain relievers one or two days before the flu vaccine and for a week afterward,” said study author David J. Topham at the Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Even mild soreness after a flu shot is a sign that your immune system is responding — an indication that your body is building protection.
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