Thought of the Day - May 17 2021 - I'll Drink to That

For months now, well since COVID-19 vaccines have been made available to the general public, there is a recurring question on social media as to whether the consumption of alcohol affects the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Probably some of this is driven by the fact that a few medications will have an effect, especially those that are meant to affect the immune system. In particular, it is recommended not to take anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen ahead of your shot, as they also suppress your immune response.

Moreover, it came to light that people with significant alcohol consumption were excluded from the vaccine trials. However, this is just one of many criteria used by pharma companies as they want the best chance of success by selecting trial candidates with the "cleanest" profiles.

One more driver surrounds the campaign in Russia where health officials tried to use the vaccination campaign as an opportunity to reduce alcoholism by declaring things like: "two shots a day render Sputnik V useless", and "people should abstain for two months". As a follow-up, Alexander Gintsburg's, who helped create Russia’s Sputnik V at Gamaleya Research Institute, infamously commented that “a single glass of champagne never hurt anyone.”

So back to the topic at hand, what about alcohol? Well, the overwhelming answer is in moderation it has no effect on the effectiveness of the vaccine. The worst that is suggested is that consuming alcohol after your shot may get you COVID. Wait-what? As you know the vaccination affects your immune system and so you may be even more vulnerable to contracting COVID, if exposed, for a week to ten days after you get the shot. Add to this the potential "social aspects" of alcohol and you can see this may not be a great mix. In short, remember what you should abstain from is heading out with your buddies for "post-vax drinks".

Cheers

Cliff