Pain killers can dilute flu vaccine: Research
Washington: Use of common pain relievers just
after getting the flu vaccine can dilute the effect of the
shot, scientists claimed.
With flu vaccination season in full swing, researchers at
the University of Rochester Medical Center cautioned that use
of many common pain killers -- Advil, Tylenol, aspirin -- at
the time of injection may blunt the effect of the shot and
have a negative effect on the immune system.
Richard P Phipps, who recently presented his latest
findings to an international conference on inflammatory
diseases, said "What we've been saying all along, and continue
to stress, is that it's probably not a good idea to take
common, over-the-counter pain relievers for minor discomfort
associated with vaccination,"
He said, "We have studied this question using virus
particles, live virus, and different kinds of pain relievers,
in human blood samples and in mice -- and all of our research
shows that pain relievers interfere with the effect of the
vaccine."
An earlier study by researchers from the Czech Republic
reported similar findings. They found that giving
acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, to infants
weakens the immune response to vaccines.
Phipps found that a variety of pain relievers -- even
though Tylenol and Advil have different ingredients -- seemed
to dilute the production of necessary antibodies to protect
against illness, the University of Rochester Medical Center
said.
Bureau Report