Don't Worry, Fasting Doesn't Hinder Antibody Formation After COVID-19 Vaccination

JAKARTA - Adult immunization expert Gatot Soegiarto said the formation of antibodies after undergoing the COVID-19 vaccine will not be disturbed even though the recipient is undergoing fasting in Ramadan. He even mentioned that fasting actually makes the cells that play a role in forming antibodies become more active.

This is certainly based on the results of a number of studies that have been done before.

"The results of the study mentioned that if a person undergoes a fast of at least eight hours, the amount of nutrients in the blood that have decreased makes toxic substances (toxins) in the body cleaned. By fasting, the cells that play a role in forming antibodies become active", Gatot said as quoted from a written statement posted on covid-19.go.id website, Thursday, April 15.

Thus, with this condition, vaccination in the fasting month will certainly not be detrimental. "Of course the answer is not (detrimental, red). By fasting, the formation of antibodies is not disturbed precisely even antibodies increase", he said.

Moreover, nowadays, there are many scientists who say that fasting is good for health and not just a religious obligation.

"Many scientists do research. (Fasting, red) is also good for health", he said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) Aceh, Safrizal Rahman admitted that there was a decrease in the number of people coming to be vaccinated. He also explained, generally, those who come to be vaccinated are those who live to carry out the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccine.

However, he denied that this decrease in numbers occurred out of concern that vaccination would invalidate the fast. This happens because people think more about the impact caused by vaccines.

"For example, the body is limp after being vaccinated", he said.

It's just that this really doesn't need to be worried by the community. Because the percentage of occurrence is very small about 0.5 to 2 percent of the people who do vaccines. So there's no need to get people to delay vaccinations when it's their time to be vaccinated.