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I am about to receive the second of the Pfizer vaccines. I had heard and read that the reaction to this can include headache, muscle pain for a few days. Is there a painkiller such as Advil or Tylenol that I should take if I feel these symptoms? Is there any reason not to use one of these (I don't want to interfere with the effectiveness of the vaccine)?
Antipyretic (fever fighting) or analgesic (pain reducing) medications (such as Tylenol or Advil) can be taken for the treatment of reactions after vaccination. I do not recommend taking the medications before vaccination. This also applies to the use of anti-histamines; you may use them if needed but do not take them before vaccination and before any symptoms arise. I have no preference on which antipyretic/analgesic medications you use, as long as you use the ones with which you are not allergic (i.e., some people are allergic to Tylenol or Advil; it is very rare but I just wanted to remind people that severe allergies can happen with any drug or vaccine). There is no data on the impact of antipyretic/analgesic medications on the vaccine response, so this is why is it not recommended.
The CDC has some more in-depth guidance regarding this subject, in the “management of post-vaccination symptoms” section. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html
