Giving Children Tylenol May Blunt Vaccines’ Effects

A new study suggests that giving babies Tylenol
to prevent fever when they get vaccinated may make the shots a
little less effective.
    It’s the first major study to tie reduced immunity to the use of
fever-lowering medicines. The study only looked at preventive use
of Tylenol - not whether it is OK to use after a fever develops.
    The effect was small and the vast majority of kids still got
enough protection from vaccines. But doctors at the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention say the results make “a
compelling case” against routinely giving Tylenol right after a
shot.
    Tylenol or its generic twin, acetaminophen, is widely
recommended as a painkiller for babies. Many parents give it right
before or after a shot to prevent fever and fussiness, and some
doctors recommend this.
    But fever is a natural part of the body’s response. The study
finds that reducing the fever—especially the first time a baby
gets a vaccine—seems to curb the immune response and the amount
of protective antibodies made.