Can I get a vaccine while fasting?

Detailed answer

Yes. A vaccine given by injection, into the arm or under the skin, does not break your fast according to most contemporary scholars. What breaks the fast is eating, drinking and what clearly takes their place. A vaccine is a small dose of medicine that does not feed the body or quench thirst, so your fast remains valid.

What the Quran and Sunnah say

The Quran describes the fast as holding back from food, drink and intimate relations from dawn until night: "eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black thread, then complete the fast until the night" (Al-Baqarah 2:187). Scholars apply this to modern medicine: what is not food or drink, and does not do their job, does not break the fast. This is the same reasoning used for other injections.

In practice

• Injected vaccines (flu, COVID-19, tetanus, travel vaccines and so on) do not break the fast.
• Oral vaccines, given as drops or a liquid to swallow, do break the fast, because they go down the throat. Ask for an appointment after iftar if you can.
• Nasal spray vaccines may run down into the throat. To be safe, have them after sunset; see nasal sprays.

What if I feel unwell afterwards?

Some people get a mild fever, tiredness or a sore arm for a day or two. This does not affect your fast. If you feel truly ill, the Quran allows the sick to break the fast and make up the day later: "whoever among you is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days" (Al-Baqarah 2:184). Follow the advice of your doctor or nurse, ideally one who understands fasting.

Tips

• If you have a choice, book the vaccine late in the afternoon or after iftar, so you can rest, drink and take a painkiller if you need one.
• Drink plenty of water between iftar and suhoor in the days around your vaccination.
• Do not delay an important vaccine just because it is Ramadan. Protecting your health is part of your religion.