Does drinking water reduce side effects after a COVID-19 shot?
Good hydration might help ward off COVID-19 infection. But the science is murky on exactly how and why drinking before an injection might alter your immune reaction.
The advice comes from neighbors, magazine articles, clinic websites, even nurses: drink a lot of water before and after your COVID-19 vaccine to help ward off side-effects.
The problem: There is no evidence that drinking extra water can help ward off the sore arms, body aches, and fevers that some people experience after getting their COVID-19 vaccine shots.
Water-chugging also won’t reduce the chances of fainting for people who are prone to lightheadedness with needles.
Here’s what we know about how water might influence your vaccine response and general health, based on the evidence available.
Scientists have not conducted randomized trials to see how drinking—or not drinking—water before getting your injection might affect antibody levels or other immune responses. It’s a complicated question to
