Can You Take Tylenol After the Flu Shot? Answers to 9 Flu Vaccine Interaction Questions
Key takeaways:
The flu vaccine doesn’t have many drug interactions. The injectable flu shot doesn’t list any interactions in its labeling. The nasal spray flu vaccine, FluMist, interacts with Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and other flu antivirals.
You can take Advil (ibuprofen) or Tylenol (acetaminophen) after you get a flu shot. But it’s recommended not to take them before your flu vaccine as a way to prevent vaccine side effects.
The flu vaccine doesn’t interact with antibiotics, such as doxycycline (Vibramycin, Doryx, Oracea), or antidepressants. You should continue taking these medications as prescribed while receiving your vaccine.
Table of contents
Getting your annual flu vaccine is one of the best ways to protect yourself and those around you against the flu. But just like starting a new medication, it’s common to have questions about the flu vaccine. Side effects are one thing to consider. But flu vaccine drug interactions are also good to know about.
Drug interactions can affect how a medication works in the body. In some cases, they can make a medication less effective. Questions about flu vaccine interactions are common. Can you take Tylenol after a flu shot? How about antibiotics? Below, we answer nine frequently asked questions about flu vaccine interactions.
1. What medications interact with the flu vaccine?
The flu vaccine doesn’t interact with much. In fact, inactivated flu vaccines (“the flu shot”) don’t list any interactions in their labeling.
Search and compare options
But some medications could lower the effectiveness of your vaccine. If you take medications that weaken your immune system (immunosuppressants), this can affect vaccines you receive (flu and others). Examples of immunosuppressants include Humira (adalimumab), corticosteroids like prednisone, and chemotherapy.
Your immune system may not respond as strongly to the flu vaccine as it would if you weren’t taking an immunosuppressant. But it’s still recommended for most people to get an inactivated flu vaccine even if they take immunosuppressants.
FluMist interactions
FluMist (the nasal spray flu vaccine) is an exception when it comes to the above information. FluMist is a live attenuated flu vaccine. This means that the virus in the vaccine is alive but weak. Inactivated vaccines contain dead virus particles. This makes a difference when it comes to interactions.
FluMist has the following interactions:
Aspirin (for children under 18): In general, you shouldn’t give aspirin to kids. Doing so can lead to a life-threatening complication called Reye’s syndrome. This is especially true if a child is recovering from a viral infection. Because FluMist contains live virus particles, Reye’s syndrome could happen if a child takes aspirin after receiving FluMist.
Antiviral flu medications: Flu antivirals, such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir), could make FluMist less effective. As we’ll discuss later, you may need to repeat your flu vaccine in some cases if you received them too close together.
Other live vaccines: You can receive FluMist with another live vaccine on the same day. But if you don’t receive live vaccines on the same day, you should wait at least 4 weeks between the two. This applies only to live vaccines. You don’t have to time inactivated vaccines with FluMist.
2. Can you take Tylenol after a flu shot?
Yes. You can take Tylenol (acetaminophen) after a flu shot. You can also take Tylenol if you received FluMist. This pain reliever doesn’t interact with either type of flu vaccine. And it can be helpful for relieving side effects, such as injection site pain or mild flu-like symptoms, in the days after your flu vaccine.
Side effects to know about: Pharmacists review notable flu shot side effects — from muscle aches to injection pain — and how to manage them.
Can you get sick from the flu shot? Physicians explain why the flu shot doesn’t cause the flu.
Flu vaccination options: Our GoodRx experts review the flu vaccine options and how effective they typically are.
But it’s recommended to avoid taking pain relievers before receiving vaccines, including flu vaccines. There’s mixed research on whether Tylenol may affect your initial immune response if you take it beforehand to try to prevent vaccine side effects.
3. Can you take Advil after a flu shot?
Yes. You can take Advil (ibuprofen) after a flu vaccine.This is also true for Motrin and other brand names for ibuprofen. Ibuprofen doesn’t interact with inactivated flu shots or FluMist. And it might help you manage vaccine side effects until they resolve.
Similar to Tylenol, you shouldn’t take ibuprofen before getting your flu vaccine. The evidence isn’t clear on whether ibuprofen lowers your immune response to vaccines. To be safe, you should avoid taking it ahead of time to try to prevent side effects.
4. Can you get the flu vaccine while on antibiotics such as doxycycline?
Yes. You can get the flu vaccine if you’re taking antibiotics, such as doxycycline (Vibramycin, Doryx, Oracea). Antibiotics don’t affect how your body responds to vaccines. And the flu vaccine won’t make an ongoing infection worse. But it could cause side effects that are similar to some infection symptoms, such as fatigue or muscle aches. So you may prefer to hold off on your flu vaccine until your infection clears.
In many cases, you can still receive your flu vaccine if you have mild symptoms of an infection, such as a low-grade fever or a runny nose. But if you have more severe symptoms, such as a high fever, you should speak with a healthcare professional before getting a flu vaccine. They may prefer you to wait until you’re feeling a little better to get vaccinated.
5. Will a flu shot interact with antidepressants?
No. The flu shot doesn’t interact with antidepressants. You should continue taking your antidepressants as prescribed when you’re getting a flu vaccine. But there may be a link between the flu shot and mood.
Some small studies have found that people with depression or anxiety notice a dip in their mood after receiving a flu vaccine. Experts don’t fully understand why this happens. But it may have to do with areas of the brain being more sensitive to certain immune cells and the proteins they make after a vaccine is given.
More research is needed to confirm whether this happens for most people with depression or anxiety. Let your mental healthcare team know if you notice a change in your mood after receiving a flu vaccine.
6. Does the flu shot interact with Tamiflu?
The flu shot doesn’t interact with Tamiflu, an antiviral that treats the flu. So if you received an injectable flu vaccine recently, you don’t need to worry about timing if you need a flu antiviral. And you don’t need to repeat your vaccine after finishing your course of Tamiflu.
But FluMist does interact with Tamiflu and other flu antivirals. Flu antivirals can make FluMist less effective. If you’re taking a flu antiviral, wait at least 2 days after finishing your course of medication to get FluMist. If you need to take a flu antiviral less than 2 weeks after receiving FluMist, you may need to repeat your flu vaccine after finishing antiviral treatment.
7. Can you take Benadryl after a flu shot?
Yes. You can take Benadryl (diphenhydramine) after getting a flu shot or FluMist. This medication doesn’t interact with these vaccines.
But Benadryl commonly causes drowsiness as a side effect. Flu vaccines can also make you feel tired. So you may experience more sleepiness than you usually would if you combine the two.
8. Can Prolia and the flu vaccine be given together?
The osteoporosis injection Prolia (denosumab) doesn’t directly interact with the flu vaccine. This means that both should work as expected if you receive them around the same time.
But if you’re getting the flu shot, you may prefer to separate it from Prolia by a few days to help prevent injection site reactions. You could also choose to receive Prolia and the flu shot in different arms. This isn’t required, but it may help limit these side effects. Experts have recommended similar guidance for people receiving Prolia with the COVID-19 vaccine.
9. Can you get the flu vaccine while taking Paxlovid?
The COVID treatment Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) has a long list of interactions. But the flu vaccine isn’t one of them. This includes both the flu shot and FluMist.
But you shouldn’t get a flu vaccine if you’re sick with COVID. This is because you could spread the infection to other people, including the healthcare professional who is vaccinating you.
It’s recommended to wait until your symptoms are improving and you’ve been fever free without medications for at least 24 hours. If you can, consider waiting an extra 5 days after that point. You’re much less likely to spread COVID to others then.
The bottom line
There aren’t many flu vaccine interactions. Injectable flu shots don’t have any known drug interactions. FluMist, the nasal spray flu vaccine, interacts with flu antivirals, such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir). These medications can make FluMist less effective if taken too soon after you receive the vaccine.
You can take over-the-counter pain medications, such as Advil (ibuprofen) and Tylenol (acetaminophen), after you get your flu shot. You can also get a flu vaccine if you’re taking antibiotics, such as doxycycline (Vibramycin, Doryx, Oracea), or antidepressants. Speak with a healthcare professional if you’re unsure about the best time to get a flu vaccine.
Why trust our experts?
References
Amgen. (2024). Prolia- denosumab injection [package insert]. DailyMed.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Frequently asked influenza (flu) questions: 2022-2023 season.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Preventing spread of respiratory viruses when you’re sick.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Vaccines when your child is sick.
Harper, J. A., et al. (2017). Pilot investigation into the sickness response to influenza vaccination in adults: effect of depression and anxiety. General Hospital Psychiatry.
International Osteoporosis Foundation. (2021). Joint guidance on COVID-19 vaccination and osteoporosis management.
MedImmune. (2023). Flumist quadrivalent- influenza vaccine live intranasal spray [package insert]. DailyMed.
Seqirus. (2024). Flucelvax [package insert]. DailyMed.
Toups, M. S. (2017). Presence of depression and anxiety is associated with greater affective sickness response following influenza vaccination. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
Vaccine Recommendations and Guidelines of the ACIP. (2023). Altered immunocompetence: General best practices for immunization. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaccine Recommendations and Guidelines of the ACIP. (2023). Timing and spacing of immunobiologics: General best practices for immunization. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Wolicki, J., et al. (2024). Chapter 6: Vaccine administration. The Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases.
