My wife and I had our Covid jabs some days ago and before they were administered we were asked various questions, including blood thinning medication and allergies, but there was no mention of alcohol.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made no mention of alcohol consumption, either -- and neither did the published results of the large clinical trials conducted by Pfizer/BionTech, or by Moderna, or by Johnson & Johnson.
Does alcohol lower the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines?
In an interview with ABS CBN News Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Dr. Eric Domingo said there is no proof that alcohol lowers the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
"Wala naman tayong nakikitang pruweba na nakakababa ng efficacy ang pag-inom ng alak." Domingo said.
What is important is that a person should be healthy at the time he receives the vaccination so as not to aggravate any adverse effects.
"Pero syempre gusto natin po kasi na right after the vaccination, malusog kayo at malakas ang inyong resistensiya para kung magka-adverse effects ay hindi ito maa-aggravate. At saka syempre gusto natin na medyo buhay at gising ang diwa natin lalo na yung first 24 to 48 hours after the vaccination kasi mahirap yung tayo'y nahihilo or nawawala sa sarili dahil nakainom," added Domingo.
One should keep in mind the issue of alcohol and vaccine side effects. If you consumed alcohol the day you got vaccinated, you could get confused to separate out the adverse effects caused by the vaccine shot from those caused by alcohol.
"Baka mamaya, may adverse effects na pala ay hindi natin napapansin, hindi na natin alam kung ano nangyayari sa katawan natin, kung dahil sa paginom ba yun o dahil sa bakuna," Domingo said.
"So we just like to keep very healthy at very clear ang pagiisip natin after the vaccination."
How much alcohol should a person take?
There had been studies about alcohol intake which have shown that there's some pros and cons when it comes to the health effects of drinking alcohol.
Experts say that moderate drinking may, in fact, benefit the immune system by reducing inflammation. It's also common knowledge that red wine is best for blood circulation. Wine 'opens' blood vessels to promote a healthy blood flow. As a result, blood flows more easily so the heart does not have to work as hard to pump blood to the rest of the body.
So how much is moderate?
Moderate drinking means no more than two drinks a day for men and one per day for women. Just to illustrate: one drink is one 12-ounce (355 ml) beer, 5 ounces (148 ml) of wine or 1.5 ounces (44 ml) of 80-proof spirits like bourbon, vodka or gin. Go beyond these amounts, and it's already called binge-drinking.
To sum it all up, moderation is always the key. Since you know your immune system will be working hard and you may get some side effects after your Covid jab, don’t go binge drinking as it will unduly tax your body. Remember to keep “healthy” after you receive your vaccination. If you do, then you'll be just fine.
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