Doctors have revealed the three things you should avoid after getting the updated Covid vaccine — and the one thing you should do if you feel under the weather.
The updated shots are available for everyone aged six months and over, but a top FDA expert says only those aged 75 years and over really need them. Whatever someone’s age, though, people can experience adverse side effects like a fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue after getting the Covid vaccine.
New York-based infectious disease expert Dr. Thomas Russo advised against taking the common pain reliever ibuprofen and recommended acetaminophen as the first line of defense. Several studies have shown that ibuprofen can reduce the action of the immune system and cause the production of fewer virus-fighting antibodies.
Other experts also recommended avoiding excessive alcohol intake over the days after getting the vaccination, as it can blunt the immune response to the vaccine.
When it comes to what you should do if you feel sick from vaccination, Dr. Russo said, “It’s a great opportunity to snuggle up on the couch with a good book and the clicker to do some binge-watching. Keep in mind that these symptoms will go away on their own, even without treatment.”
On the updated Covid booster, health experts said the numbers were roughly equal to the same time last year — showing uptake was not dropping further. But they have warned many Americans are now steering clear of Covid shots because of vaccine fatigue and as they already have immunity from previously contracting the virus.
This year’s updated Covid booster vaccine was designed to target the BA.4 and BA.5 Covid variants, which were the main versions circulating this summer. But scientists say they should still provide substantial protection against severe disease from HV.1 and EG.5, the newly dominant variants.
CDC data shows there were 3,002 flu infections recorded in the week to November 12, up 60 percent on the same time the previous week. Covid cases are also no longer falling, and the test positivity rate — the percentage of Covid tests that detect the virus — has held at about eight percent for two weeks, suggesting cases may again be on the rise.
The US is rolling out the updated Covid vaccine this year via private insurance plans, which are promising to foot the costs. But surveillance shows barely one in ten Americans have come forward for the vaccine.
The latest data up to early November shows 36 million adults had gotten the shot, including 3.5 million children, out of more than 329 million people who are eligible. For comparison, an estimated 91 million Americans — or 34 percent of the adult population — have come forward for the flu vaccine.
On the updated Covid booster, health experts said the numbers were roughly equal to the same time last year — showing uptake was not dropping further. But they have warned many Americans are now steering clear of Covid shots because of vaccine fatigue and as they already have immunity from previously contracting the virus.
This year’s updated Covid booster vaccine was designed to target the BA.4 and BA.5 Covid variants, which were the main versions circulating this summer. But scientists say they should still provide substantial protection against severe disease from HV.1 and EG.5, the newly dominant variants.