WASHINGTON — The big push for COVID-19 vaccine boosters heads into the holidays. Some people have wondered, do the vaccines and alcohol mix?
For adults, the holiday parties and festivities mean two things: The need for vaccine boosters and sometimes booze.
If you thought of this question, you’re not alone. The holidays bring all sorts of spirits and some of the liquid kind.
QUESTION:
Do you need to avoid alcohol if you’re getting a booster?
OUR SOURCES:
ANSWER:
No, you do not need to avoid alcohol to get the vaccine boosters.
WHAT WE FOUND:
“There's no evidence for that,” Dr. Schaffner said. “I'm sure many people in the trials had a glass of wine and maybe three during dinner. So that wasn't monitored. And there's no reason to believe from a study of any other vaccine, that alcohol itself will somehow impair your immune response.
Dr. Moss agreed via email, writing quote, “Excessive alcohol consumption is bad for many reasons, but casual or moderate alcohol consumption will not impact the response to COVID-19 vaccine boosters.”
We also asked pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna. Neither provided a statement, but a Pfizer spokesperson directed us to the FDA’s guidelines for vaccine administration, which does not mention staying away from alcohol.
So we can verify our experts say you don’t need to avoid alcohol when you get the COVID-19 vaccine booster.
Our experts also wanted to add, regardless of the booster shot, excessive alcohol consumption is not good for you.
