For many diseases, the main preventative measure is vaccination, after which the human body develops immunity to the disease.
During the procedure, it is necessary to follow certain rules to ensure the most positive result from its implementation. Many people are concerned about how alcohol affects the effectiveness of the vaccine.
How do ethanol and vaccines affect each other?
Ethyl alcohol, which is the main component of alcoholic beverages, affects the course of diseases, the effectiveness of drugs, and the risk of side effects. By default, patients are advised to give up alcohol during treatment and prevention of the development of any pathologies, and the period of refusal is determined individually.
Vaccination is active immunization, that is, the development of specific immunity to pathogens through the administration of a drug. Unlike passive immunization, which occurs after an illness, vaccination helps protect health without risk or discomfort.
Vaccines contain inactive forms of the virus: weakened, inactivated, subunit. Simulating an infection forces the immune system to work: produce antibodies to destroy antigens. When a person encounters an infection, the body will be familiar with it and will be able to quickly destroy it during the incubation period, or the pathology will be mild.
The effect of alcohol on the vaccine is:
- low effectiveness of vaccination;
- increased risk of adverse reactions;
- immunosuppressive effect of ethanol;
- deterioration of health immediately after immunization.
From December 5, Covid-19 vaccines will be available to Moscow residents, and a week later they will appear in the regions. Doctors advise Russians to abstain from alcohol so that mass vaccination takes place without complications and with a predictable result.
Goals of measles vaccination
Measles is an infectious disease that is accompanied by rashes all over the body in the form of red spots. The main danger of this disease is its rapid spread. To become infected, you do not need close or prolonged contact with a sick person; it is enough to be in the same room or at a short distance with him.
In addition, a large proportion of patients who have had measles develop various complications of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
It is advisable to get vaccinated against measles in childhood. It is carried out for children in two stages, the first time at the age of 1-1.5 years, the second - before school - up to 6 years. Immunity to the disease after vaccination lasts for 10-12 years.
The disease in young children is severe; the child’s temperature rises greatly, signs of a cold appear, swelling on the face, rash in the throat and body are observed.
According to statistics, hundreds of thousands of children who were not vaccinated against this disease die every year from measles.
The introduction of the measles vaccine provides 90% protection for children against this disease. The possibility of infection after vaccination is rare; the course of the disease occurs in a milder form and without any special complications.
Measles is a childhood disease, but adults can also become infected with it.
Adults are vaccinated against measles twice with a break of 3 months between them. If for some reason one injection was given instead of two, the vaccination is carried out again according to the full schedule.
Side effects after immunization
Two drugs for vaccination against coronavirus infection (CVI) are registered in Russia:
- Sputnik-V – vector, based on adenovirus;
- EpiVacCorona – peptide.
Vaccinations will be done on a voluntary basis, but the first in line at community clinics will be teachers, employees of medical institutions and law enforcement agencies.
Any vaccinations can cause side effects: from local reactions (redness, swelling, itching) to deterioration of health, vomiting and fever. Minor changes in health are normal, as the vaccine stimulates natural defenses. Most of the unpleasant symptoms during respiratory infections are a consequence of increased immune function, so drugs that are administered to form a specific immune system can also cause discomfort. If they pass quickly and do not cause a significant deterioration in well-being, there is no cause for concern.
In addition to poor health, allergic reactions, including life-threatening ones, may occur.
Ethyl alcohol can cause similar side effects:
- allergy to ethanol and other substances contained in the drink;
- vomiting, headache and other manifestations associated with intoxication;
- increase in temperature with a paradoxical reaction to alcohol, etc.
A person drinking alcohol before and after vaccination increases the risk of side effects. It will be difficult for him to understand which symptoms are a consequence of post-alcohol intoxication, and which arose due to the vaccine. This means that he may not seek medical help on time.
Therefore, you should not drink before or after immunization, so as not to encounter side effects or to correctly respond to symptoms of illness, without associating them with drinking alcohol and other violations of doctor’s instructions.
Alcohol and the benefits of the vaccine
Vaccination only works in conjunction with the body's defenses. It is impossible to create specific protection from the outside, therefore, for a person with immunodeficiency (even temporary, for example, when taking a course of immunosuppressive drugs), vaccines will not be effective.
While the vaccine is in effect, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for the immune system to function. Doctors recommend not to get too cold, avoid crowded places, and not drink alcohol.
Ethanol suppresses the immune system, so after drinking alcohol, the vaccine cannot fulfill its task (form strong protection against infection) in full. Often, after vaccination, a person is sure that the infection no longer threatens him, so he may not follow measures to prevent infection, which can also lead to illness.
Thus, you need to give up alcohol to get the desired effect from the coronavirus vaccine.
Is alcohol combined with measles vaccine?
For the human body, vaccination against any disease is an additional burden on all vital systems. The immune apparatus receives a signal about the presence of a dangerous foreign agent and begins to fight - it stimulates the production of antibodies to suppress the unwanted invasion. After vaccination, a person develops stable immunity to the disease for life.
A prerequisite for the formation of the body's protective immune functions is the patient's health status at the time of vaccination. A high level of immunity, the absence of inflammatory processes and chronic diseases contribute to an adequate response of the body to vaccination.
Drinking alcoholic beverages at this time, which negatively affect the functioning of all internal organs, reduces immunity and can neutralize the effect of the vaccine or greatly reduce it.
The body's protective properties, weakened by alcohol intoxication, become unable to produce the required amount of virus antibodies. In this situation, the risk of developing side effects increases, and there is a risk of complete infection of the patient with measles pathogens included in the vaccine.
Alcohol after vaccination
To form a strong immune defense against coronavirus, you need to abstain from drinking alcohol for at least 21 days. Since Sputnik-V and EpiVacCorona require two doses 2-3 weeks apart, the total number of days of abstinence is therefore 42 days or 6 weeks.
The head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, announced a strict ban on alcohol. According to her, for 6 weeks after the first injection of the vaccine, any alcohol is strictly prohibited, since ethanol creates “excessive tension” in the body, which can reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, who previously recommended that Russians drink alcohol in moderation during the vaccination period, agreed with A. Popova’s opinion and also advised to forget about alcohol for a month and a half.
The ban caused conflicting reviews: doctor Alexander Myasnikov agreed with this approach and noted that such recommendations are relevant when taking any drugs, and also “come from common sense.”
But his namesake, Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya Center, which produced the first vaccine against COVID-19, Sputnik-V or Gam-Covid-Vac, allowed drinking in small quantities. In his opinion, “you can drink a glass of champagne.” Alexey Agranovsky, a virologist and professor at Moscow State University, shares the same position. It is important to take into account that a glass of alcohol also contains ethyl alcohol , which has a bad effect on health, but with a single use, the body of a healthy person is able to cope with intoxication. However, frequent consumption of even one glass of wine or champagne per day is harmful to health, especially against the background of treatment or immunization with a vaccine.
Head of the Department of Virology and Immunology Vitaly Zverev shared Gunzburg’s opinion and said that preparation and recovery measures after vaccination against coronavirus do not differ from the recommendations for flu vaccination: “...they also vaccinate those who are dependent [on alcohol], but so far no one has died from the flu vaccine . They can get sick, but in a mild form.” He also clarified that there is only one vaccine in the world that has strict instructions not to drink after it is introduced into the body, and it is intended to protect against yellow fever. There is no scientifically proven information yet that vaccination will definitely lead to serious health consequences, and advice to give up alcohol is based on the general effect of ethanol on drugs and the body.
A compromise between the two points of view was the opinion of immunologist Vladislav Zhemchugov, who pointed out the importance of the condition of the liver in this matter. If the organ is functioning normally, there is no reason to refuse symbolic doses of alcohol, for example, a glass of champagne or wine.
Is it possible to drink alcohol after a measles vaccination?
Medical opinions regarding the intake of alcoholic beverages after measles vaccination converge. Doctors strictly prohibit drinking alcohol after vaccination. This limitation is explained by the fact that alcohol reduces the body's resistance, increasing the likelihood of the development of bacteria and viruses.
Alcohol also creates additional stress. All this leads to the fact that specific immunity is formed incorrectly, and the post-vaccination period is more difficult.
Doctors recommend abstaining from drinking alcoholic beverages for at least 5 days. It is better not to drink alcohol for a couple of weeks after immunization. This time period will be sufficient to produce the required number of antibodies in response to the introduction of antigenic material.
For all patients, the post-vaccination period proceeds differently: some feel worse, while others do not experience any changes in their health. Doctors advise not to drink alcohol until all reactions after vaccination disappear.
Typically, immunization provokes the appearance of the following symptoms:
- general malaise;
- increase in body temperature to 37.5-38 degrees;
- runny nose and cough;
- weakness;
- redness, pastiness, pain in the puncture area;
- sore throat;
- diarrhea;
- loss of appetite.
The presence of such conditions indicates that the body has not yet finished fighting the virus and the production of antibodies to measles continues.
Sensitive individuals may develop adverse reactions from the vaccine such as allergies, fever, and seizures. In these cases, alcohol should be strictly prohibited.
How long should you not drink before vaccination?
Before getting a vaccine, including for Covid-19, you need to abstain from alcohol. But the period for which it is recommended to give up ethanol is, in some sources, three days before vaccination, in others – 2 weeks or a month.
Ethyl alcohol and its breakdown products are eliminated in 2-3 days if the liver and kidneys are functioning normally and the person is not hungover from alcohol. This means that not drinking for 48-72 hours before getting the vaccine is enough to avoid dangerous complications or affecting the effectiveness of the vaccine. If you are sure that a person will not be able to wait out the due date due to regular use, then stopping the binge will be a good start in preparing for vaccination.
Individual recommendations on how to prepare for vaccination can be obtained by talking with your doctor. It should also identify other factors, for example:
- immunodeficiency;
- complicated allergic history;
- progressive pathologies of the nervous system;
- pre-existing complications during immunization.
It is important that the person feels well on the day of vaccination. If there are signs of illness, especially those indicating a respiratory infection (cough, low-grade fever, runny nose, sore throat), it is better to stay home. Also, you should not drink alcohol right before the vaccination or large doses the day before. “No need to get drunk before vaccination!” – summed up A. Gintsburg, the head of the Research Center for the Prevention of Coronavirus, which created the drug for the prevention of coronavirus. Gamaleya.
Vaccination schedule
Today, vaccination against measles, rubella, mumps, according to the National Vaccination Calendar, is given to all children who do not have contraindications to vaccination. In healthy children, the first vaccination is given at the age of one year, then before entering school, revaccination is performed at the age of 6-7 years.
If at the time of vaccination a child has a cold, an exacerbation of a chronic disease, or there are other contraindications determined by the doctor, immunization can be carried out according to an individual schedule, with preliminary preparation for vaccination and compliance with the timing between administration of the drug. Parents, due to various circumstances, can refuse vaccination or reschedule vaccination by writing a corresponding statement to the doctor.
Today, complex vaccines containing three components are used - one injection against three infections at once.
Alcohol and active coronavirus
Does ethyl alcohol affect the course of Covid-19? This is a common question to which doctors give an unequivocal positive answer.
According to statistics, most people in Russia experience CVI in a mild form. The pathology is limited to mild symptoms: temperature not higher than 38 degrees, malaise, cough, loss of taste and smell. But people who regularly drink alcohol and those who start drinking after infection are more likely to experience Covid not in a mild form , but in a severe and moderate form.
There are several reasons for this:
- ethanol causes a decrease in the effect of medications prescribed by a doctor;
- alcohol has an immunosuppressive effect, which prevents the body from fighting infection;
- alcohol makes the blood thicker, so the risk of blood clots and the development of complications characteristic of CVI increases.
During an unfavorable epidemiological situation, it is better to refrain from drinking alcohol, or limit yourself to symbolic doses, provided there are no severe chronic diseases and other factors influencing the likelihood of infection and severe pathology.
Vaccination against Covid-19 and chronic alcoholics
Doctors' advice not to drink before and after vaccination is relevant for those who do not experience a pathological craving for ethanol. Dependent people cannot control themselves , therefore, when addiction worsens, they continue to drink alcohol, despite prohibitions and logical arguments.
Whether alcoholics can get vaccinated depends on their health status. The more pathologies that have developed as a result of ethanol abuse, the more reason there is for a thorough medical examination before vaccination. All drinkers should consult a doctor, because they are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19. The reason for this is explained by doctor Alexey Kazantsev: “Ethanol increases the permeability of cell membranes, so the virus can easily penetrate the “open gate” of the body.”
Immediately before the procedure, an alcoholic who has been drinking can order an anti-binge drip: the drugs neutralize and remove toxins naturally (through the kidneys), so the vaccination will be better tolerated.
However, detox will not help the patient give up ethanol even after the vaccine. In this case, you need to contact a narcologist who will identify the reasons for the development of addiction and draw up a program of drug treatment, coding for alcoholism, which will allow you to restore health , free yourself from addiction, and also prevent the development of COVID-19 with the help of active immunization or suffer Covid-19 in a mild form.
Thus, alcohol and coronavirus are incompatible . However, with good health, good health and the absence of ethyl addiction, you can afford a glass of light alcoholic drink. In case of alcoholism and serious pathologies, it is better to strictly observe a sober lifestyle during the vaccination period for the period recommended by the doctor.
