Doctors advise teens against taking paracetamol after Covid-19 jab

Children undergoing Covid-19 vaccination must not take paracetamol, a common pain reliever, without first consulting, doctors have advised.

The advice was issued in response to growing concerns that some immunisation centres are advising children to take three paracetamol 500 mg tablets after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. Taking paracetamol tablets without consulting a doctor can harm children, health experts warned.

"Paracetamol is not recommended as prophylaxis, before and after any Covid vaccination as we don't know how it alters the immune response of the vaccine," said Dr. Akshay Budhraja, Sr. Consultant, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Aakash Healthcare.

"Giving paracetamol to children (15-18 years old) who are receiving Covid vaccines is not recommended. It is because it has the potential to cause hepatotoxicity (liver damage caused by drug exposure) in them," added Dr. Col.Vijay Dutta, Senior Consultant - Internal Medicine, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre.

A low-grade fever, muscle ache, lethargy, headache, soreness at the injection site is common in the first two days after vaccination, which usually subsides on its own, without any medication.

Also read: As cases rise, India fears another Covid-19 catastrophe

"However, if the fever persists or the intensity increases then paracetamol or other painkiller is advised after consultation with a physician. So paracetamol is to be taken only after consultation and not as prophylaxis for fever, which happens because of the immune response of the body to the vaccine components," Budhraja added.

If children develop a fever after receiving the Covid vaccine, "they should be given Mefenamic acid or Meftal syrup", while paracetamol is safe for adults over the age of 18 with fever, Dutta said.

Previously, Bharat Biotech also issued a statement that no painkillers or paracetamol are recommended following the inoculation.

To combat the increasing cases of Covid-19 driven by the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, the government has begun administering the vaccines to teenagers aged 15 to 18.

Also Read: Centre flags low Covid-19 testing in 9 states

Only Covaxin has been recommended for vaccinating teenagers.

According to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, India has achieved a one-crore vaccination milestone for people between the 15 and 18 age group against Covid-19 till Wednesday, after the beginning of the drive on January 3.

India's adult vaccinations have also reached 149.66 crore as of Friday morning.

Meanwhile, India on Friday registered a single-day rise of 1,17,100 new Covid-19 cases, a significant rise from the previous day's 90,928 cases, in a span of 24 hours. The country's Omicron infection tally has reached 3,007.

Check out DH's latest videos: