There I was doing my own business, trying to determine if any of my extremities, particularly that major appendage, did not fall off after an anti-COVID-19 vaccine injection and was already thinking of a celebratory libation when one of the staff members of vaccination center said in a loud voice, “Wala pong inom ng (Refrain from drinking for) 20 days.” Of course, “drinking” means imbibing that evil stuff called alcohol.
That stopped the planned night out after vaccination that my group planned.
Now, I am not an alcoholic or anything near that but the medical worker's prohibition got me thinking: This person does not know which side of the bread is buttered. San Miguel Corporation and the Lucio Tan Group, both of them major purveyors of alcohol products like beer and liquor are major donors of anti-COVID-19 vaccine, and here is somebody who is trying to reduce the business of both conglomerates.
With a target population of 70 million to be vaccinated, even if only 10 percent of those who got jabs were stopped from going ahead with the plan of a single celebratory beer, that is already seven million bottles.
Is the prohibition on taking alcoholic drinks announced in all vaccination centers? I do not know, thus I checked the Informed Consent Form that all vaccinees are required to sign before the injection as well as the clinical trial protocol of the vaccine used on me.
Lo and behold: Both were silent on alcohol.
Thus I sought the opinions of my friends in the medical profession and they were divided on the issue. Some said that a vaccinee should really refrain from alcoholic drinks for 10 to 20 days after a jab and others merely said there is nothing in the clinical trial protocol that proscribes the offending substance, meaning I can go my merry way and drink myself to perdition although newly vaccinated.
And still, others said one should refrain from alcoholic drinks three days before and after an injection.
I think this is more logical. Alcohol and its accompanying evils, sleeping late, loss of appetite thus reduced food consumption the next day as well as too much discharge of a certain body fluid may all result in lowered immunity, that the vaccine will try to perk up.
As for the three days after, it may only be because of the fear that the hangover will be blamed on the vaccine instead of the drink.
So fellow vaccinees, let’s all drink to our newly recovered freedoms.
The author is a veteran journalist and former news editor of Business Mirror.
