Good luck with that! Russians told to quit drinking for nearly two months in case of Covid attacks

Russians were warned to avoid alcohol for nearly two months before and after receiving the country’s coronavirus vaccine.

The head of Russia’s consumer safety watchdog made the recommendation for recipients of the Sputnik V vaccine on Tuesday, but a day later, the drug’s developer said just six days without alcohol were enough.

Anna Popova, director of the Rospotrebnadzor watchdog, said that alcohol consumption should stop “at least two weeks before vaccination,” during an interview with Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda, reported in The Moscow Times.

He went on to say that recipients should avoid alcohol for 42 days after the first injection, explaining that “immunity is building and you have to be careful.”

Russians were warned to avoid alcohol for nearly two months before and after receiving the country’s coronavirus vaccine. Despite a dramatic decrease in alcohol consumption, Russia remains one of the largest consumers in the world. [File photo]

‘It is a strain on the body. If we want to stay healthy and have a strong immune response, don’t drink alcohol, ” he told the Russians, who remain among the world’s biggest alcohol consumers despite declining consumption.

Popova also recommended that vaccine recipients refrain from smoking before and after an injection because smoke can affect the immune response and cause lung irritation.

His instructions came after Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said that both alcohol and immunosuppressants should be dropped for 42 days because there is a 21-day gap between the two administrations of the vaccine.

The state research center that developed the Sputnik V vaccine was quick to respond to Popova’s comments, assuring the public that it was only necessary to abstain from alcohol for six days.

Russia kicked off its vaccination campaign for high-risk volunteers in Moscow over the weekend

The director of the Gamaleya research center, Alexander Gintsburg, said that alcohol abuse should certainly be avoided, but replied that “a single glass of champagne never hurts anyone.”

On Wednesday he elaborated, saying it was “just a matter of reasonably limiting consumption until the body has formed its immune response,” as was the case with all vaccines.

“We highly recommend abstaining from alcohol for three days after each injection,” Gintsburg said, according to the Interfax news agency, reported in The Moscow Times.

Heavy alcohol consumption could reduce the effectiveness of Sputnik V or even eliminate its impact entirely, he said.

“Of course we are not talking about a total ban on alcohol during vaccination.”

Russia recorded 26,097 new infections on Tuesday, adding to the country’s total of 2.54 million, the fourth highest in the world.

Russia’s more than 44,700 deaths rank as the 10th highest death count. Official figures registered 562 deaths on Tuesday

The contradictory advice follows the start of Russia’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign, which began for high-risk volunteers in Moscow last weekend.

Sputnik V is still in clinical safety trials, but the developers say the vaccine is 95% effective against the virus.

Health officials have estimated that some 100,000 Russians have already received the vaccine, according to The Moscow Times, including 30,000 participants in the trials and 8,500 members of the military.

Russia recorded 26,097 new infections on Tuesday, adding to the country’s total of 2.54 million, the fourth highest in the world.

Russia’s more than 44,700 deaths rank as the 10th highest death count.