Is it safe to drink alcohol after taking COVID-19 vaccine?

The Indian government allowed vaccination against Covid-19 for people over the age of 45 from April 1. One of the most common concerns among people was whether a person could consume alcohol days before/after taking the vaccine shot.

So far, there is no clinical evidence to suggest that alcohol consumption makes the Covid-19 vaccine ineffective. However, it has been advised that limiting the intake of alcohol for 45 days after getting vaccinated will ensure that a person’s immunity doesn’t go down. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the independent regulator in the UK had said “There is currently no evidence that drinking alcohol interferes with the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines. We would advise anyone concerned about this to talk to their healthcare professional.”

Meanwhile, Times Now quoted a doctor at Mumbai’s Wockhardt Hospital as saying, “Though alcohol may not be linked to the effectiveness of the vaccination it can give a tough time to your immune system. Limiting alcohol after getting the jab will make sure that your immunity doesn’t go down. Drinking alcohol has serious effects on your health as it weakens your immune system. It can dehydrate you and give you a tough time to the liver. Drinking heavily can lead to immunosuppression in the body and it can impact one’s immune system and reduce the body’s infection-fighting capacity.”

On January 3, two vaccines – Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India – were approved by India for restricted emergency use. The union health ministry also informed that 10,12,84,282 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country as on April 10.