COVID-19 vaccination: Can you take alcohol post vaccine jab- here is what you need to know

India has entered in its third phase of vaccination process, and many people have questions pertaining to do’s and don’ts of vaccination. People above the age of 45 are now being vaccinated and one of the most common questions coming from people is whether they can drink alcohol or not after taking the vaccine shot.

The good news is that there is no need for people to abstain from alcohol after taking the COVID-19 vaccine jabs. Alcohol will not be having any kind of impact on the effectiveness of the vaccine given against the novel coronavirus infection. A statement issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has clarified this query of people and the answer can be found among the FAQs posted on the official website of the Health Ministry. The government highlighted that health experts believe that there is no evidence indicating that alcohol can impair the effectiveness of the vaccine.

In fact any other healthcare body including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US as well as Public Health England in the UK have not come up with specific instructions on whether people can consume alcohol before, in between the vaccine shots, or after the shots. As per an independent regulator- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK, there is no evidence indicating any interference of alcohol with vaccine efficacy. It added that whoever is concerned for this, can consult doctors once.

It is to note that as of March 31, more than 574 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 infection had been administered spanning across 141 countries, Bloomberg data showed. Among these, 23 per cent of American population and 26 per cent of the UK population have been vaccinated. In India too more than 62 million doses have been administered. After inoculation of all these people, no such report has surfaced indicating alcohol consumption impacting vaccine efficacy.