Can you go to the corona vaccination with a cold? In some cases it is actually possible to keep the appointment. We explain what you should pay attention to.
It doesn’t matter whether you get the first, second or third corona vaccination – if you catch a cold shortly before the vaccination date, you may wonder whether you should still take it. Sometimes this is not a problem. In other cases, however, it is advisable to wait with the corona vaccination and cure the infection first.
With a cold for the corona vaccination: That says the RKI
In principle, patients should ideally feel fit and rested when they are vaccinated. However, this is not always possible, since some colds only break out on the day of the vaccination appointment. In its information sheet on corona vaccination, the Robert Koch Institute does not generally rate a “mild” cold without an elevated body temperature as a contraindication. With a normal cold, you can certainly have the corona vaccination administered if you feel physically able to do so.
exception: If you have an acute, feverish illness that is associated with a body temperature of more than 38.5 degrees, you should not get vaccinated. So if you not only have cold symptoms, but also a flu infection, it definitely makes sense to postpone the appointment for your vaccination.
Regardless of the assessment of the RKI, you ultimately decide whether you want to attend the appointment for the corona vaccination even if you have a cold or not. If you are unsure, you can ask local vaccinators for a medical assessment. Ideally, however, you cancel the vaccination appointment a few days in advance so that the appointment can be given to someone else.
Corona vaccination despite a cold: You should pay attention to this
If you decide to go for a corona vaccination with a cold, you should consider a few aspects:
- Even if you have symptoms from your cold, you should not take any painkillers before the corona vaccination. The Robert Koch Institute does not recommend the prophylactic use of aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamol and other preparations. These contain inhibitors that would alleviate the side effects and thus possibly also influence the formation of antibodies.
- You can try instead Home remedies for common cold and drink plenty of water and unsweetened tea. Your body also needs rest so that it can regenerate and cope better with the vaccination.
- If you have a cold, you should avoid sports and strenuous physical activities before and after the corona vaccination. By the way, this is also advisable if you are healthy. After all, you should first observe how your body reacts to the vaccination. Of course, there is nothing wrong with going for a walk in the fresh air if you feel fit enough for it.
- You should also avoid excessive alcohol consumption before and a few days after the corona vaccination. Because alcohol could worsen the symptoms and possibly impair the formation of antibodies. Alcohol also delays the recovery process from your cold.
- After the corona vaccination, you could possibly get other flu-like symptoms, which are usually part of the normal vaccination reactions. Such symptoms include headache and muscle pain, fatigue, chills or exhaustion. In most cases, they subside after a day or two. If the symptoms bother you a lot, you can take fever-reducing painkillers after the vaccination. However, experts advise waiting up to six hours after vaccination so that antibody formation is not impaired.
If you have a cold, should you be tested for Covid-19 before you get vaccinated?
According to the recommendation of the Bavarian State Ministry, a rapid or antigen test before vaccination is not advisable. However, if you have a cold at the time of the corona vaccination, you can make sure by testing yourself or having them tested before you visit the vaccination center or the appropriate practice.
By the way: Even if you are already infected with Corona at the time of the vaccination, this will not have a negative effect on the vaccination. As the Federal Center for Health Education explains, “the tolerability of the vaccination is not negatively affected by an acute infection”. In order to protect others, however, a test for cold symptoms makes sense.
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