CONNECTICUT, USA — Question: “Are there indications that the Pfizer vaccine may not be effective to the South African variant?”
Answer:
According to Dr. Syed Hussein of Trinity Health of New England, new research on this is coming in daily. The most recent research says the vaccine may not be as effective against that variant.
“Now we do have new data coming in almost on a daily basis of how these variants are popping up. Some variants such as the B1351 South African variant is we know has the possibility of evading the vaccine-mediated immunity which is a concern. It means basically the vaccines might not be as effective against that particular variant. Now what will be effective is wearing a mask,” said Dr. Hussain.
Question: "Is it OK to use of Tylenol or Advil to mitigate any discomfort, fever, chills, etc. associated with either the first or second shot?
Answer:
According to vaccine expert Dr. Peter Hotez it’s best to avoid those painkillers before getting the vaccine, especially if they are anti-inflammatories like Advil. According to Hotez, anti-inflammatories could potentially limit the effectiveness of the vaccine.
The concern is that taking these pain killers ahead of time may dampen your immune system‘s response to the vaccine. However, according to the CDC, over-the-counter pain medicine like ibuprofen is ok to take after you get the vaccine.
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