Should you take alcohol after getting Sputnik V anti-COVID jab? Here’s what Russian researchers say

The Russian health officials have asked the citizens to avoid alcohol for around two months after taking the ‘Sputnik V’ anti-Covid-19 vaccine. Drinking alcohol after getting a coronavirus vaccine can significantly blunt the immune response, a leading Russian scientist has said.

MOSCOW: While researchers and scientists around the world have found significant success in developing effective vaccines to fight the coronavirus pandemic, they have also warned people of taking certain precautions after taking the anti-COVID jab.

As of now, the scientists have developed three highly protective jabs with efficacy rates above 90 percent. Pfizer and Moderna in the US, alongside Oxford's UK project, have raised hopes for millions of finding a cure for the deadly virus. Russian scientists have too found success in developing the ‘Sputnik V’ anti-COVID vaccine, but they have also said that the vaccine comes with a caveat.

Days ahead of the mass vaccination drive in their country, the Russian health officials have asked the citizens to abstain from alcohol for around two months after taking the ‘Sputnik V’ anti-Covid-19 vaccine. A leading Russian scientist has also warned that drinking alcohol after getting a coronavirus vaccine can significantly blunt the immune response and potentially render the vaccine ineffective. 

“We strongly recommend refraining from alcohol for three days after each injection,” Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, which is developing the Sputnik V vaccine, told New Scientist. 

This warning doesn’t just apply to the Sputnik V vaccine, but all covid-19 vaccines and indeed all other vaccines. “This is quite obvious,” he said. Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova too urged the Russians to be extra cautious during the 42 days it takes for the Sputnik V vaccine to be effective.

“They will have to refrain from visiting crowded places, wear face masks, use sanitisers, minimise contacts and refrain from drinking alcohol or taking immunosuppressant drugs,” Golikova told News Agency TASS recently.

Similarly, in an interview with Russian radio station Komsomolskaya Pravda, Anna Popova, the the head of Russia’s consumer safety watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, also endorsed Golikova's warning.

Apart from urging people to stop drinking for 42 days after receiving the first of the two injections, she also asked them to abstain from alcohol for at least two weeks before getting inoculated. “It’s a strain on the body. If we want to stay healthy and have a strong immune response, don’t drink alcohol,” Popova explained.

But soon after Popova’s interview, Sputnik V vaccine’s developer, Alexander Gintsburg, said, “One glass of champagne won’t hurt anyone, not even your immune system.” He said in a tweet shared on the vaccine’s official Twitter handle along with a picture of Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio raising a glass of champagne.

"One glass of champagne won't hurt anyone, not even your immune system", said Dr Gintsburg, developer of the #SputnikV vaccine. pic.twitter.com/1EAqdbMLpY — Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) December 9, 2020

However, Gintsburg maintained that it was important to avoid alcohol three days before and after the two injections. He added that the advice would apply for all Covid-19 vaccines and not just the Russian Sputnik V.

The warning has apparently not gone down well with a wide section of Russians, who believe the request is ''unreasonable.'' Some health experts fear that the extreme recommendation may even dissuade people from getting the vaccine.