key: cord-0891097-5uoqongv
authors: Laughey, William F.; Lodhi, Imran; Sanni, Olutoba; Pennick, Graham; Charlesworth, Bruce
title: Analgesia and COVID‐19
date: 2022-04-15
journal: Br J Clin Pharmacol
DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15347
sha: ad8990fb6c4c9a70560e390f901906fecd24e151
doc_id: 891097
cord_uid: 5uoqongv

nan

The authors suggest that timing of medication is paramount. In all studies reporting a negative effect on antibody response, medications were given prophylactically, before vaccination, rather than the more common practice of using medication after vaccination if required. 5 The emerging evidence in COVID-19 immunization is also reassuring. In trials of the Oxford/AZ vaccine, a protocol amendment meant two of the five sites allowed prophylactic paracetamol to be administered before vaccination. 6 This significantly reduced adverse effects of the vaccine without compromising immunogenicity based on antibody titres. 6 A recent review by Ooi et al. 7 considers data from the Pfizer/BioNTech and Jansen/J&J trials in which analgesics and antipyretics were permitted, if needed, post-vaccination. Whilst younger participants were more likely to need medication than older participants, vaccine efficacy remained stable across age groups. 7 Furthermore, the fact that up to one-fifth of patients required analgesia did not prevent these vaccines from demonstrating remarkable efficacy. 7 Whilst further research, particularly into cell mediated mechanisms, is required, current evidence supports the short-term use of analgesics after COVID vaccination. 7 As Omicron is currently surging in several countries, vaccination will continue to play a key role in limiting morbidity and mortality. Measures which reduce vaccine hesitancy-including the availability of effective post-vaccination symptom relief-have significant implications for public health.

The authors are employees of Reckitt, the owners and distributors of the Nurofen brand.

All authors were involved in the initial conception of manuscript. WL 

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