This doctor wants you to avoid alcohol after receiving your COVID-19 vaccine

© Getty / Basak Gurbuz Derman / Photographer, Basak Gurbuz Derma
This Doctor Wants You To Avoid Alcohol After Getting Your COVID-19 Vaccine – Here’s Why

Some experts wonder whether you should avoid alcohol before and after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine because of its impact on your immune response. But one doctor we spoke to offered another reason why you might want to avoid drinking while getting your vaccination: Alcohol could increase the likelihood of you having a reaction to the vaccine. Learn more about this connection.

Can I drink alcohol after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?

Purvi Parikh, MD, an immunologist and allergist with Allergy & Asthma Network, told POPSUGAR that “alcohol actually lowers your threshold for allergic reactions because it basically causes your blood vessels to expand, or what we let’s call it vasodilate, and it causes inflammation in your body. “The result is,” you’re more likely to react, “she added.

Although a rash on the arm from the Moderna vaccine is specifically considered harmless and normal – and short-term – alcohol could exacerbate a reaction. Dr Parikh recommends avoiding alcohol on the day of the vaccine and at least 24 hours after the vaccine or until the side effects – which could include fever, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and swelling of the lymph nodes – disappear. . And, whether or not you have known allergies.

“Let’s say in 24 hours you feel back to normal, that’s great. But if you have side effects after the vaccine for 48 hours, then I won’t add more fuel to the fire,” Dr Parikh, who is also a co-investigator on COVID-19 vaccine trials at NYU, noted. She also said she would give the same advice for both doses of the currently available mRNA vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna – especially since the second dose would result in more severe side effects.

Blanka Kaplan, MD, an adult and pediatric allergy and immunology specialist at Northwell Health, also told WebMD that alcohol can speed up allergic reactions and she suggested an even longer delay. to avoid alcohol around your vaccination date. “Since we don’t yet know enough about the influence of alcohol on allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines, I recommend avoiding drinking alcohol for 24 hours before and after your vaccination,” she says. .

Dr Parikh also noted that serious side effects of the vaccine, such as anaphylaxis, would occur 30 to 60 minutes after receiving the vaccine. Nonetheless, she suggests calling your healthcare provider if you have any signs of an allergic reaction such as a rash on your skin – then they can decide the severity of the reaction for themselves. Signs of a more serious response to the vaccine are dizziness, difficulty breathing, and vomiting, in which case Dr Parikh suggests contacting your doctor. Of course, if in doubt, you can contact your doctor for any side effects that you may be concerned about.

Since there is still a lot we don’t know about these COVID-19 vaccines, it is best to exercise caution and avoid alcohol at the time of your injection to minimize inflammation and an allergic reaction. potential.

POPSUGAR aims to give you the most accurate and up-to-date information on the coronavirus, but details and recommendations on this pandemic may have changed since its publication. For the latest information on COVID-19, please consult the resources of the WHO, CDC and local public health departments.