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Doctor Convinces People At Bar To Get Vaccine With Free Beer

Doctor Convinces People At Bar To Get Vaccine With Free Beer

If anything will do it, beer will

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

As experts begin to worry that the vaccination process in the US is slowing down, they've started to throw around a few incentives such as free doughnuts of tickets for baseball games.

But Dr Gale Burstein may have the most effective incentive there is - free bevs. Oi oi.

Dr Burstein, who is the Erie County Health Commissioner, has said that she's hearing from people that haven't yet got the shot but could be swayed if a free pint was on offer. Just like a Tom & Jerry sticker at the dentist.

Speaking to SLATE, the medic said: "Our county executive Mark Poloncarz developed this idea. It comes from a Buffalo tradition where many times when people go out and drink, they'll drink a shot of hard liquor and they'll chase it down with a beer. That's a common kind of alcohol order.

"Mark thought of a shot and a chaser vaccine clinic, where if people received a shot of COVID-19 vaccine, they could get a pint of beer as chaser."

She went on to add: "We were optimistic that offering the vaccine in a familiar environment, and giving them something that they want, in addition to getting protected from COVID-19, would work. People in their 20s and 30s is an age group where we haven't had as high a penetration for the COVID-19 vaccine, or as high as we would like.

"Also, that is the age groups where we're seeing the highest number of new COVID-19 infections now. So we're just trying to be playful, make it fun for people. We've given much of the Erie County population their first dose already.

Dr Gale Burstein.
University at Buffalo

"Now it's time that we be creative to meet people where they are, to entice them and excite them to get a vaccine. We know that many people that age, on a weekend, especially the rare sunny Sunday afternoon in Buffalo in May, go to a brewery to have a beer or wine.

"We were able to vaccinate almost 150 people that afternoon with COVID-19 vaccine."

PA

Despite potentially being advised to lay off the beers before and after having the vaccine, there is no evidence that suggests drinking alcohol afterwards interferes with how it works.

UK regulator, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), was responding to social media reports that people should abstain from drinking for up to two weeks after a vaccine.

But there is nothing in the patient information leaflets from the NHS or the vaccine manufacturers to suggest such a link.

A spokeswoman for the MHRA explained: "There is currently no evidence that drinking alcohol interferes with the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines.

"We would advise anyone concerned about this to talk to their healthcare professional."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics:Β News, Coronavirus