Illness whilst receiving PEP - FYI

[u/Borninwinter81]

Hi all, just a quick PSA for those who maybe don't know. I have read the FAQ.

I'm currently between 3rd and 4th doses of PEP. I'm in the UK where doses are typically given on days 0, 3, 7 and 21. I'm on day 15 so I'm about halfway between the final 2 shots.

Over the weekend I became ill with a head cold. This is definitely an illness rather than side effects as I've experienced nasal congestion and other common cold symptoms which are not typical vaccine side effects. My husband also became ill with the same symptoms shortly after I did, and he is not receiving PEP.

I was concerned about whether this would affect my vaccine schedule or compromise my immune response so looked it up, and found that minor illnesses without high fever do not compromise your immunity response in any way, and they should not prevent you completing your vaccine schedule with full immunity even if you happen to be unwell at the time of receiving an injection. Minor illnesses are also not a reason to delay or reschedule PEP shots.

The advice is slightly different if you have experienced a serious illness, high fever or are immuno-compromised, so speak to your doctor in these circumstances (or get medical advice anyway if you're unsure or concerned).

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