Prevention
have lots questions about what you should and shouldn’t do before and after being vaccinated for COVID-19 – and some of the guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may be surprising. For example, the agency recommends avoiding OTC pain relievers, like ibuprofen and Tylenol, in anticipation of the vaccine’s side effects before the injection, but says it is good to take them within reason after receiving your dose.
Why? It has to do with those very important antibodies and how certain substances can interfere with the development of a strong immune response. Understandably, many people wonder whether it is safe to drink alcohol after vaccination, as some research shows that drinking can affect the immune system when consumed. overly (think: a night of fun).
The CDC offers some guidelines for people who have recently been vaccinated, but focuses more on possible side effects, information on ingredients and what we know about immunity to COVID-19 – without mentioning the drink, however.
So what’s the problem? Can you get that glass of wine to celebrate your step towards immunity – or is it better to wait? We asked infectious disease doctors to clarify things.
First, an update: How do the available COVID-19 vaccines work?
Currently, only the respective COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are authorized for emergency use in the United States. But there are others in progress, mainly from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology to mount an immune response in the body. This technology does not inject live or inactive viruses into your body, but encodes a piece of genetic material from the new spike protein from the coronavirus (the portion of the virus that binds to human cells), according to the CDC. The mRNA then serves as a set of instructions for your cells, so they can also start to develop proteins.
As a result, your body perceives the proteins as invasive (although there is no threat) and starts pumping antibodies that can uniquely fight the coronavirus. Your body eliminates proteins and mRNA, but the antibodies remain (it is not clear how long, as the research is underway). If you become infected in the future, your body will be better prepared to fight COVID-19.
So, can you drink alcohol after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?
There is no official government recommendation on this, but the experts we’ve talked to say it’s not really something to worry about, within reason. Research on the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines did not require trial participants to avoid alcohol, and their findings did not mention people who have problems after drinking.
“There is no evidence that alcohol reduces the formation of antibodies,” says Richard Watkins, MD, an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical.
However, he recommends watching your alcohol intake in the days after vaccination for a different reason. Some people may experience flu-like side effects, such as fever, chills, fatigue and headache, and “being drunk or hungover makes things less pleasant,” he says.
This is also important to keep in mind when reporting the side effects of vaccination, says infectious disease specialist Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
He explains that the CDC encourages people who have been vaccinated to enroll in their V-Safe Post-Vaccination Health Checker, and it is possible that someone may confuse the symptoms of a hangover with the side effects of the vaccine.
So, if you want to celebrate your vaccination with a drink (preferably at home!), There is no known harm in doing so – just stick to the recommended daily recommendations: two drinks for men and one for women. Cheers!
This article is correct at the time of publication. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves rapidly and the scientific community’s understanding of the new coronavirus develops, some of the information may have changed since the last update. While our goal is to keep all of our stories up to date, visit the online resources provided by CDC, WHOit’s yours local department of public health to stay informed about the latest news. Always speak to your doctor for professional medical advice.
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