The United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted Emergency Use Authorization for two COVID-19 vaccines:
Here’s what you should know about these vaccines if you take an anticoagulant (also called a blood thinner).
- Taking an anticoagulant does not exclude you from receiving the vaccine. Global recommendations state that you can be vaccinated if your anticoagulation is stable.
- If you’re on anticoagulant injections, including enoxaparin (Lovenox®) or fondaparinux (Arixtra®), you can be vaccinated.
- If you take warfarin, you can be vaccinated as long as you routinely test your INR levels and if your INR is within a target (or therapeutic) range as determined by your doctor.
- If you take a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC), including apixaban (Eliquis®), dabigatran (Pradaxa®), edoxaban (Savaysa®), and rivaroxaban (Xarelto®), you can be vaccinated.
- Although bruising or very light bleeding can occur at the injection site, the vaccine is not associated with a serious risk of bleeding. Expert guidance recommends that patients apply firm pressure to the injection site—without rubbing—for at least two minutes.
- For additional information, please see our COVID-19 vaccine video.
Please note that NATF cannot provide medical advice regarding your personal medical situation, nor can we determine when the vaccine will be available to you.
