Photo/Illutration A health care worker receives her second COVID-19 vaccine shot in Tokyo in March 2021. (Pool)

Researchers have found that antibody levels do not drop among recipients of two COVID-19 vaccine shots who took antipyretic analgesics after experiencing adverse post-vaccination reactions.

Antibody levels, which indicate whether infections can be prevented, varied little among subjects who complained of side effects and took medications for them and those who did not, according to a study conducted by researchers from Kyushu University Hospital and Fukuoka City Hospital. 

The joint research team found that both groups gained sufficient immunity against the novel coronavirus through their inoculations.

For the study, the team obtained consent from medical professionals and clerical staff at Fukuoka City Hospital who received their second jabs of the Pfizer vaccine.

The researchers asked them how severe adverse reactions were after their second shots and if they took any medications to alleviate their symptoms. The team then measured their antibody levels and conducted a statistical analysis of the data.

Of the 335 study participants, 45 percent took antipyretic analgesics after experiencing adverse reactions, such as a fever, fatigue, a headache, chills or swelling of an arm.

The researchers did not see any difference in their antibody levels depending on the types of antipyretic analgesics or the timing of taking them.

The study also found that antibody levels were more likely to be higher among participants who had post-vaccination adverse reactions. Particularly, those who ran a fever of 38 degrees or higher had a 1.8 times higher antibody level than those whose body temperature was below 37 degrees.

The team said the tendency was seen regardless of the participants’ age or gender, adding that a fever is likely related to post-vaccination reactions that increase antibodies in the body. But even those who had a body temperature lower than 37 degrees had a sufficient antibody level.

The study did not cover cases where antipyretic analgesics were taken beforehand as a precaution against adverse reactions.

“We’re now analyzing the data on those who received their third shots and seeing similar results,” said Chong Yong, an associate professor at Kyushu University specializing in infectious diseases, who conducted the analysis for the study.

“You can take antipyretic analgesics for whatever adverse reactions you have, so I recommend getting booster shots. You also don’t need to (refrain from taking antipyretic analgesics and) endure a fever just because it is a sign that you’re likely to have a higher antibody level.”

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