Perhaps you’ve heard the advice that you shouldn’t drink after getting vaccinated. However, if you’ve already had your shot and chosen to celebrate the occasion or intend to do so as soon as you’re jabbed, you may be wondering if you made the correct decision. Many individuals are questioning if they can drink after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Finally, we’ve got an answer for you!
Here is an overview that would clear your confusion on whether you can drink alcohol after the vaccine or not.
Is It Safe To Drink Alcohol After Getting COVID-19 Vaccines?
World health organisations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Public Health England, and even the Health Ministry of India have not stated any guidelines on consuming alcohol before and after vaccination.
According to Dr. Pritam Moon, consulting physician at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai, no evidence nor data indicates that alcohol interferes with vaccination effectiveness. Furthermore, there are no studies or research to support the assumption that alcohol impacts antibody development.
He states that alcohol has no direct relationship with the generation of antibodies as a result of vaccination. Did you know that, after being injected, antibodies take around three weeks to develop? However, the relationship between drinking and vaccination is unclear. Alcohol may not impair or interfere with vaccine efficacy. But drinking alcohol might weaken your immune system and cause dehydration.
Does Alcohol Affect The Effectiveness of COVID-19 Booster Vaccine?
A study conducted by researchers at Japan’s International University of Health and Welfare states that drinking alcohol can reduce the rise of coronavirus-neutralising antibodies following the third dose of a COVID-19 vaccination (booster shot).
According to the study led by associate professor Retsu Fuiita, the levels of such antibodies following booster shots were 15% lower on average in individuals who consume alcohol than those who do not.
Fujita also found that drinking habits appear to inhibit the growth of antibody titers in the case of coronavirus vaccines by reducing liver functions and imposing a burden on the intestinal tract, where around 70% of immune cells are concentrated.
What Do You Need To Do Before, During, And After Receiving A COVID-19 Vaccine?
Before Vaccination
Do your research. As there is a lot of misinformation concerning vaccinations on the internet, it’s vital to acquire your information from reliable sources like WHO and UNICEF. Speak with your doctor if you have any concerns about receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. To avoid any potential side effects, patients with the following health problems should not get a COVID-19 vaccination at this time:
- If you previously have had a history of severe allergic reactions to any of the COVID-19 vaccine components.
- If you are currently ill or having COVID-19 symptoms (although you can get vaccinated once you have recovered and your doctor has approved).
Talk to your doctor. Speak with your doctor before your COVID-19 vaccine appointment if you have an allergic reaction to any vaccination or have any questions about the medications you are presently taking.
During Vaccination
Keep yourself protected. Follow safety procedures at the vaccination facility, such as keeping a safe distance while waiting and wearing masks.
Communicate. Inform your doctor immediately if you have any medical conditions that could require precautions, such as pregnancy or a compromised immune system.
After Vaccination
Stay for monitoring. To ensure that you do not have any immediate reactions, the health care practitioner should monitor you for around 15 minutes after the vaccination is administered. Severe health effects, on the other hand, are quite rare.
Be prepared to experience some side effects. Vaccines are intended to protect without the risk of contracting the disease. While it is normal to acquire immunity without experiencing any side effects, it is also common to suffer some mild-to-moderate side effects that resolve on their own after a few days.
After vaccination, you may experience the following mild-to-moderate side effects:
- Arm soreness at the injection location
- Slight fever
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Muscle or joint aches
- Chills
- Diarrhoea
If any of your symptoms persist for more than a few days, consult your doctor immediately if you have a more severe reaction.
Be patient. It takes time to build immunity. Two weeks after your second dosage of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccination, 15 days after your second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, or two weeks after the single-dose J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, you will be deemed completely vaccinated.
What Should You Do On The Night Before COVID-19 Vaccine?
Avoid Taking Steroids
Steroids should be avoided.
You don’t want to start steroids the night before your vaccination since steroids significantly suppress inflammation.
The anti-inflammatory effect may interfere with your body’s capacity to mount an effective immune response to the vaccination and protect you, according to Kathryn A. Boling, MD, a family medicine specialist at Mercy Medical Center.
Eat beforehand and arrive well-rested
Ensure a good night’s sleep the night before your appointment. It will help your immune system to work to its full potential. If your appointment falls during mealtime, you should eat beforehand and drink plenty of water. Don’t go to your appointment feeling hungry or thirsty.
What Not To Do After COVID-19 Vaccine Shot?
Avoid alcohol and tobacco
Although there have been no approved scientific studies that quantify the effect of smoking or alcohol on vaccination, it is advised to avoid the consumption of tobacco or alcohol since it may aggravate or worsen vaccine side effects. Therefore, it may make the experience more stressful and unpleasant.
Alcohol also harms the body’s immune system, and there is a potential that the immune response to the vaccination will be less efficient if there is too much alcohol in the bloodstream. The same goes for tobacco consumption.
Do not think that you are entirely immune to COVID-19 after vaccination
There is no such thing as a 100% success rate for a vaccination. You can get COVID-19 even if you’ve been vaccinated, but the infection will be milder. The vaccination only prevents you from getting hospitalised, dying, or contracting a severe disease. You can still be an asymptomatic carrier if you continue to utilise COVID-19 appropriate behaviour such as masks, hand sanitisers, handwashing, and physical distancing.
Do not delay consulting a doctor if you experience COVID-19 symptoms even after vaccination
Remember that the vaccine takes time to take effect, and you will only develop immunity a few weeks after the second dosage. Pain and stiffness in the arm and weariness normally go away after a few days. Consult your doctor if you have severe side effects or if your symptoms do not disappear.
Avoid strenuous physical activity for at least 2-3 days post-vaccination.
Avoid placing your body under stress to recover from the vaccine’s side effects.
Do not miss other necessary vaccines
Some other adult vaccinations may be required and should not be overlooked in the event of COVID-19 vaccination. However, it is best to wait at least 28 days between the COVID-19 vaccination and any required vaccinations. If the schedule cannot be changed, further vaccines should be administered at a different location (arm or thigh). Before arranging your vaccinations, consult with your doctor.
Myths and Facts about alcohol and COVID-19
Myth: Consuming alcohol destroys the COVID-19 virus.
Fact: Drinking alcohol will not destroy the COVID-19 virus in the body. In fact, if you do catch the virus, alcohol consumption will increase health risks.
Myth: Alcohol stimulates immunity and increases resistance to the COVID-19 virus.
Fact: Alcohol will not stimulate immunity and virus resistance.
Myth: Drinking alcohol kills the COVID-19 virus in the inhaled air.
Fact: Consuming alcohol does not disinfect your mouth and throat. It does not give you any extra protection against COVID-19.
Effect Of Alcohol After COVID-19 Booster Shots
Excessive alcohol consumption can affect your immune system, possibly weakening your immune response to the COVID-19 vaccination.
Other health experts have said that frequent and excessive alcohol intake might raise the risk of infections or viruses, including COVID-19.
According to a review paper published in the British Journal of Nutrition, alcohol may impair the movement and function of key immune system cells such as B and T lymphocyte. Alcohol may also alter the immune system’s ability to produce important chemicals like cytokines, natural killer cells, and monocytes/macrophages. In addition, excessive drinking might also make you more vulnerable to viral infections like the COVID-19 coronavirus.
How Many Days Should You Not Drink Alcohol after COVID-19 Vaccinations?
In terms of alcohol, it is recommended that you refrain from drinking for two days before and up to two weeks after your vaccination to ensure that your immune system can respond to the vaccine and protect you.
Other health professionals have mentioned that it is best to avoid alcohol for 15-20 days before and after getting the vaccine. Furthermore, it is advisable to visit a doctor before resuming drinking.
Conclusion
Excessive alcohol consumption suppresses the immune system. As a result, your body may not respond to the vaccination as well as it should (this is the vaccine’s purpose of helping your immune system detect viral proteins and establishing an immune response that will be activated).
The amount of alcohol that induces immunosuppression varies from person to person, but excessive intake after receiving the vaccination is not recommended. However, a celebration drink to acknowledge that you did the right thing may not be a problem.
