Taking painkillers before getting vaccinated 鈥榰nsafe鈥� 鈥� doctor
A pharmacist arranges generic brands of paracetamol at a drugstore in Sampaloc, Manila. A doctor warned the public on Thursday that the practice of taking painkillers such as paracetamol is unsafe. — Photo by Richard A. Reyes
MANILA, Philippines — The practice of taking painkillers before getting vaccinated is unsafe and could lead to serious health consequences, a doctor warned the public on Thursday.
“It’s not safe. You (should) only take, for example, paracetamol if you have a fever. At least 37.8°C and above,” Dr. Madonna Añabieza, an immunization officer with the United Nations Children’s Fund, told reporters on the sidelines of a media conference by the Department of Health (DOH) in Bataan.
Paracetamol is commonly used to treat headache, fever, and pain. It is widely available over the counter.
READ: Public reminded on safe, proper intake of paracetamol
Añabieza said taking paracetamol even if one does not have fever can further lower the body’s temperature and could lead to hypothermia. This could make matters worse, “especially if you are in cold areas,” she added.
The doctor noted that since fever is a usual side effect of being inoculated, taking paracetamol after receiving a vaccine can be a remedy. The doctor added that people allergic to paracetamol may take ibuprofen as an alternative.
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Añabieza advised that putting a cold compress around the injection site can lessen the swelling, noting that parents are taught these remedies before their children are vaccinated.
“Kapag nagbabakuna, ina-assess muna yan. Ina-assess muna yung mga bata kung eligible sila bakunahan. Kung hindi naman dahil may fever, idedefer. Pababalikin pag wala nang fever,” she expressed.
(During vaccination, we assess first. We assess a child first if they are eligible for vaccination. If they have a fever, we defer. They would be asked to return if they don’t have a fever anymore.)
Meanwhile, Añabieza also encouraged vaccination for vaccine-preventable diseases. She mentioned that common factors that contributed to vaccine hesitancy include accessibility of vaccines, inconvenience of going to vaccine centers, and misinformation.
She also shared partial and unofficial DOH data showing that 64.47 percent of eligible Filipino children are considered fully immunized, an increase of 2.13 percentage points from 2023.
