There are lots of questions about what you should and shouldn’t do before and after getting vaccinated for COVID-19—and some of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines might be surprising. For example, the agency recommends avoiding OTC pain meds, like ibuprofen and Tylenol, in anticipation of vaccine side effects prior to the shot, but says it’s fine to take them within reason after you receive your dose.
Why? It has to do with those all-important antibodies and how certain substances can mess with the development of a strong immune response. Understandably, plenty of people have wondered whether or not it’s safe to drink alcohol after vaccination, as some research shows that booze can impact the immune system when consumed excessively (think: a night of binging).
The CDC does offer some guidance for people who have been newly vaccinated, but it focuses more on the possible side effects, information about ingredients, and what we know about COVID-19 immunity—no mention of booze, though.
So, what’s the deal? Can you reach for that glass of wine to celebrate your step toward immunity—or is it better to wait? We asked infectious disease doctors to set the record straight.
First, a refresher: How do the available COVID-19 vaccines work?
Currently, only Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s respective COVID-19 vaccines are authorized for emergency use in the U.S. But there are others in the works, notably from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology to mount an immune response in the body. This tech doesn’t inject live or inactive virus into your body, but rather encodes a piece of genetic material from the novel coronavirus’ spike protein (the portion of the virus that latches onto human cells), according to the CDC. The mRNA then serves as a set of instructions for your cells, so they can also start developing proteins.
As a result, your body perceives the proteins as invaders (even though no threat exists), and starts pumping out antibodies that can uniquely fight the coronavirus. Your body goes on to eliminate the proteins and the mRNA, but the antibodies stick around (it’s unclear for how long, as research is ongoing). If you do get infected in the future, your body will then be better prepared to fight off COVID-19.
So, can you drink alcohol after you get the COVID-19 vaccine?
There’s no official government recommendation on this, but the experts we talked to say it’s not really something to worry about, within reason. Research on both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines didn’t require trial participants to avoid alcohol, and their findings didn’t mention people having issues after drinking.
“There is no evidence that alcohol reduces the formation of antibodies,” says Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease physician and a professor of internal medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical.
However, he does recommend watching your alcohol intake in the days after getting vaccinated for a different reason. Some people may experience flu-like side effects like a fever, chills, fatigue, and a headache and “being intoxicated or hungover will make things less pleasant,” he says.
That’s also important to keep in mind when reporting your vaccination side effects, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
He explains that the CDC encourages people who have been vaccinated to sign up for its V-Safe After Vaccination Health Checker, and it’s possible for someone to confuse hangover symptoms with vaccine side effects.
So, if you want to celebrate your vaccine with a drink (preferably at home!), just keep it within recommended daily guidelines: two drinks for men and one for women. Cheers!
This article is accurate as of press time. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly evolves and the scientific community’s understanding of the novel coronavirus develops, some of the information may have changed since it was last updated. While we aim to keep all of our stories up to date, please visit online resources provided by the CDC, WHO, and your local public health department to stay informed on the latest news. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice.
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