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On a hot topic: can I drink beer before and after the coronavirus vaccination?

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All new developments always raise a lot of questions, and a mass vaccination against coronavirus is no exception. It is not always possible to find a convenient day to get vaccinated, plus you will have to do it often, and it may happen that a visit to the vaccination center coincides with a holiday or an important meeting. Hence the understandable concern - is it okay to drink alcohol before and after vaccinations, and if so, in what amounts? And does it make a difference what kind of alcoholic beverages to drink - should beer at least be outlawed? Let's figure out together how not to deny ourselves the pleasure without harming our health.

Physicians' Opinion

It is a well-known fact that alcohol is a psychoactive substance that affects the human nervous system. Because of this property, alcohol should not be consumed while taking various medicines - for example, antibiotics, painkillers, antidepressants and so on. With vaccinations the same situation: after vaccination the human organism begins to produce antibodies actively, which in the future will fight against the virus cells. And alcohol can interfere with this process. If alcohol is actively consumed during the vaccination, all reserves will be used to remove toxins from the body, respectively, there will be no energy left for the proper formation of immunity. This means that the effectiveness of the vaccine will decrease, or it will become meaningless altogether.

Meanwhile, experts have already refuted the opinion that one should not drink alcohol for all 42 days while vaccination and immunity development are taking place. According to the director of the Gamaleya Center, where the Sputnik V vaccine was developed, the main thing is to refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages for the next three days after vaccination.

Going to a beer restaurant just before the vaccination is also not recommended. Alcohol is eliminated through the liver, which is the organ that helps antibodies form. Doctors recommend giving up alcohol 2 weeks in advance, but this is more of a safety precaution. If this is not possible, you can reduce this period to the same 3 days - during this time the body will be cleaned of ethyl alcohol, and it certainly will not harm the future vaccination.

After you have been vaccinated and waited 3 days, you can start drinking alcohol, but within reasonable limits. Simply put, not in liters and not every day. Beer is ideal for this purpose - it is quite light, and you can enjoy even one glass.

In general, the ideal solution in this situation is to refrain from heavy meals for the entire period, which will be required for vaccination and the production of antibodies. But this does not mean that you have to deny yourself your favorite drink. Drink wisely and be healthy!

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Summer lambics: refresh yourself with a fruity beer from Belgium

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Summer appetizers for Belgian beer: from seafood to desserts

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