Inoculating those who consume alcohol and smoke cigarettes against Covid-19 is a waste of money and resources, says the Chairman of National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Dr Samadhi Rajapaksa.
Smoking damages the respiratory system and Covid-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a disease that has similar effects on the humans, he explained.
Accordingly, people who smoke cigarettes are highly susceptible to be infected with Covid-19, he said adding that they are at a higher risk of falling victim to the infection.
Further, smoking and consuming alcohol weakens one’s immunity, he said, adding that vaccinating such persons will negatively impact on achieving the goal of the inoculation drive which is to eliminate the virus transmission.
It is very much effective to administer the vaccine to those who do not consume alcohol or smoke cigarettes, Dr. Rajapaksa stressed.
He went on to say that one must avoid smoking or consuming alcohol for at least six months after receiving the vaccine against Covid-19.
