Short answer: if you feel normal after a flu shot or COVID vaccine, a short sauna later that day is a reasonable choice for most people. If you have a fever, chills or aches, or you feel wiped out, skip the heat and rest until it passes. The CDC says these side effects are usually mild and go away within a few days.
When you’re ready: a private infrared sauna at NOLA Chill, 6045 Magazine Street, New Orleans, is $30 for 30 minutes or $40 for 45, and five 30-minute visits are $125, which can be shared or split with friends or family. You can book a time and pay after your visit. We’re open 7 days: Monday to Friday 9 to 7, Saturday 9 to 4 and Sunday 10 to 3. Every price is on the pricing page, and the infrared sauna page shows every sauna option.
What you may feel after the shot
The CDC’s flu vaccine safety page lists soreness, redness or swelling where the shot was given, headache, fever, nausea and muscle aches as possible side effects, and says they are generally mild and go away on their own within a few days. Fainting can occasionally happen after any shot.
For COVID vaccines, the CDC’s page on getting your COVID-19 vaccine says side effects generally go away in a few days and that some people feel a little discomfort and can go about their day. Its tips include resting if you can, drinking plenty of fluids and holding a cool, wet washcloth on a sore arm.
When to go and when to wait
| How you feel | Sauna? |
|---|---|
| Normal, maybe a little tired | A 30-minute session is a reasonable choice. Drink water before and after. |
| A sore arm and nothing else | Your call. The CDC’s tip for a sore arm is a cool, wet washcloth, so you may prefer to wait until it eases. |
| A fever, chills or aches | Skip it and rest. Come back once a fever has been gone for a full day and you feel like yourself. |
| Lightheaded or faint | Skip the heat today. |
| Side effects that worry you or last more than a few days | Contact your doctor, as the CDC suggests. |
Don’t go straight from the shot to the heat
The CDC says scientists think fainting after a shot comes from the vaccination process rather than the vaccine itself, and that experts recommend sitting or lying down for the shot and being watched for 15 minutes afterward. A hot room is a poor place to find out you feel faint, so we suggest saving the sauna for later in the day and coming in only when you feel steady.
Your first session after a shot
- Keep it to 30 minutes. Book a 30-minute infrared sauna session ($30) rather than 45.
- Drink water before and after. You will sweat, and plenty of fluids is already one of the CDC’s tips for after a vaccine.
- Step out early if you feel dizzy, lightheaded or worse. Staff would rather you leave early.
- Coming with someone? One or two people together can use one prepaid package visit, and every package is on our pricing page.
What the research says
We haven’t seen studies on using a sauna after a vaccine, so the timing above comes from the CDC’s guidance on side effects, not from sauna research. We make no claim that a sauna changes how a vaccine works, for better or worse. Our evidence library covers what sauna studies do and don’t show.
More for cold and flu season
- After the flu or a cold: easy ways back to normal
- How soon you can use a sauna after being sick
- Sauna when sick or with a fever: the 24-hour rule
- Flu season in New Orleans: this week’s numbers
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a sauna after a flu shot?
If you feel normal, a short session later that day is a reasonable choice for most people. If you have a fever, chills or aches, rest until they pass.
Can I use a sauna after a COVID vaccine?
The answer is the same. The CDC says side effects generally go away in a few days, so come in once you feel like yourself and keep the first visit to 30 minutes.
Is a sauna OK the day after a flu shot?
Yes, if you feel normal. If you woke up with a fever or achy muscles, give it another day.
What about after the shingles vaccine?
The CDC says most side effects of the shingles vaccine are mild to moderate, last 2 to 3 days and could affect normal daily activities, so plan on waiting until they pass.
Should I use the sauna with a sore arm?
The CDC’s tip for a sore arm is a cool, wet washcloth. The heat isn’t needed for the arm, so wait until it eases if you’d rather.
Does a sauna make a vaccine work better or worse?
We haven’t seen studies on it either way, and we make no claim that it does.
I booked a sauna and feel lousy after my shot. What now?
Text us at (504) 381-4207 and we’ll move your visit.
NOLA Chill is a wellness studio at 6045 Magazine Street in New Orleans, not a medical clinic. The sauna is a wellness amenity, not medical care, and nothing here is advice about vaccines.