After a prolonged year and a lot of speculation, people finally have the opportunity to get vaccinated and boost their immune systems to fight the deadly virus that caused a global pandemic.
Quite naturally, getting the vaccine can be an occasion for celebration for some people, who might want to call out for a drink or two. But can alcohol consumption create a hindrance to your immune response?
In this post, we’ll cover all your queries regarding the consumption of alcohol post-vaccination. Is it harmful to the immune system? If not, what is the appropriate quantity for consumption? And much more.
A word from the regulatory agencies
As per some vaccine studies, having alcohol following any kind of vaccination results in weak vaccine responses and hampers your protection against infections. The exact same rule applies to the vaccine for the pandemic virus.
In a report published by Alcohol Research, mild to a modest amount of alcohol is fine before and post-vaccination, as there’s no possible chemical impact with that on the immune retaliation. However, higher quantities may cause unpredictable outcomes. Therefore, it’s advised to consult a healthcare professional before consuming alcohol once you’ve been jabbed.
How the concern arose
The distress over alcohol and vaccination began after a Russian health official claimed that people should avoid consuming alcohol two weeks prior to taking the vaccine and then evade it for another 42 days after getting vaccinated.
The official professed that alcohol can hamper the body’s ability to develop antibodies against the virus. This caution fathered a fierce counterblast in Russia, a country that has the highest drinking rates.
After the backlash, some experts in the U.S. also had similar concerns. Dr. Angela Hewlett, an Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, said that they’ve received a lot of inquiries about this concern from patients. People who are receiving the vaccines want to be certain that they’re indulging in the right practices to maximize their immune response.
Is there a right amount of alcohol
Ilhem Messaoudi, Director of the Center for Virus Research at the University of California, chips in that the risk is quite negligible among light consumers of alcohol, but one needs to be observant to stick to their limits. It’s perilous to consume massive amounts of alcohol pre or post-vaccination because it directly impacts your biological systems.
The CDC points out that modest drinking generally implies not more than two drinks for men and a maximum of one drink for women, per day. On the contrary, hefty drinking includes four or more drinks for men and three or more drinks for women per day.
In a nutshell
There are no strong shreds of evidence or documentation to prove that the consumption of alcohol is injurious for your immune system prior to or post getting vaccinated. Still, health experts and doctors suggest avoiding alcohol for 24-48 hours following your vaccination.