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Tylenol May Weaken Effectiveness of Kids' Vaccines
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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 They believe the pain reliever's anti-inflammatory activity might trigger "interference" to healthy immune system antibody responses, explaining the weakened immunization.
"Unless there are specific reasons for controlling fever, for example, in a child with history of febrile convulsions, Tylenol and other fever reducers should not be routinely given along with immunizations," Chen said.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine in New York City, said that "the conclusion that Tylenol not only suppresses fever, but also decreases immune response is plausible. After all, what is an immune response? It's an inflammatory response."
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Siegel agrees that acetaminophen should not be routinely given to infants to prevent fever after vaccination. "But, if the kid is sick, treat the sickness. If the kid is very sick, I would get the fever down," he said.
And what about the vaccine for the H1N1 flu? According to Siegel, "giving an infant Tylenol before an H1N1 flu vaccine shot may not be a problem, because the immune response to the vaccine has been so robust."
More information
For more information on vaccines, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 10/16/2009
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SOURCES: Robert T. Chen, M.D., blood safety specialist, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta; Marc Siegel, M.D., associate professor, medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York City;Oct. 17, 2009, The Lancet
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