After receiving the country’s COVID-19 vaccine – Russian officials are warning citizens not to consume alcohol for two months – the news of a hard swallow for one of the world’s most drinking countries.
The warning came from Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, who said in an interview that Russians would have to take extra precautions during the 42 days they take to make the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine effective.
“[Russians] Golikova told the TASS news agency that visiting crowded places, wearing face masks, using sanitizers, minimizing contacts and drinking alcohol or taking immunosuppressive drugs should be avoided.
According to a report in the Moscow Times, Anna Popova, head of Russia’s consumer protection watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, echoed these sentiments in an interview with Radio Komosolskaya Pravda.
“It simply came to our notice then. If we want to stay healthy and have strong immunity, do not drink alcohol.
Russia is the fourth largest consumer of alcohol per capita in the world, according to the World Health Organization. According to the agency, the average Russian consumes 15.1 liters of alcohol a year.
Russia launched its population vaccination efforts over the weekend in Moscow. Health officials in the country estimate that 100,000 people have been inoculated.
“By the end of the week, all regions of the country will join the campaign,” Golikova said.
Russian health officials say the Sputnik V vaccine is more than 90 percent effective, but reports say the medical personnel who took the shots came down with Covid-19. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly refused to accept the offer.
Western experts have questioned the speed at which the mobility vaccine was developed and Russia has not provided any data to support their claims for the shot.
There are 2.4 million cases of coronavirus in Russia, and 42,000 people have died from the disease.
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