Russia's vodka industry is taking a major hit -- leaders over there are telling citizens to lay off the sauce when they get the coronavirus vaccine.
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova says Russians who receive the Sputnik V vaccine -- which is administered in 2 phases 21 days apart -- must abstain from alcohol for 42 days ... because it's an immunosuppressant.
That's not all -- Russians planning to get the vaccine are also supposed to give up drinking 2 weeks before their first injection. So, that's about 2 months of sobriety for people living in the nation known to be one of the world's leading alcohol consumers.
Anna Popova, head of Russia’s consumer watchdog agency, says beer and liquor are a strain on the body, adding ... "If we want to stay healthy and have a strong immune response, don’t drink alcohol." Smoking cigarettes is also being discouraged.
So far, Russian officials estimate 100,000 have received the Sputnik V vaccine.
We know what you're thinking, and there's no word of a similar instruction for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.