When should you schedule your COVID-19 booster before holiday travel?
Many Americans will catch up on missed holiday plans. Ahead of the busy holiday season, schedule and receive your booster shot to ensure the safety of loved ones and friends. (Getty Images)
Holiday season is fast approaching, and by getting the readily available COVID-19 vaccine, many Americans are planning to catch up on missed time with loved ones.
Dr. Jodie Dionne (UAB)
For those who received the first full set of vaccinations from February to May, University of Alabama at Birmingham infectious disease experts say now is the time to schedule a booster ahead of Thanksgiving and other holidays as 2021 comes to a close.
“The studies are showing 15 days after the booster dose, the antibody levels are excellent and just as good at 30 days,” said Dr. Jodie Dionne, associate professor with the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine. “For example, if you plan to travel to see family for Thanksgiving, you will probably want to get your booster sometime between Nov. 1 and 10.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations allow for mixing and matching vaccines for booster shots; however, Dionne said it is best to consult your physician when deciding on a booster that is different from your original vaccine set.
Safe holiday gatherings
When planning holiday get-togethers, Dr. Latesha Elopre, associate professor with UAB’s Division of Infectious Diseases, recommends taking into consideration health and immune status.
“If you are unvaccinated or others at the event are unvaccinated, it is important to weigh the cost,” she said. “There is potential risk that the virus could spread to others.”
Elopre recommends that if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19 and plan to travel, consider getting tested three to five days after exposure.
Dr. Latesha Elopre (UAB)
Even though children ages 5-11 are eligible to receive the vaccine, there is a risk of exposing elderly or immunocompromised people to the virus. Many children may not have received the vaccine by the time holiday gatherings begin or be fully vaccinated.
Still, when celebrating with friends and family, Elopre said, smaller gatherings held outside may be the safest option.
“I think the best-case scenario is that you are limiting your gatherings to those who are fully vaccinated,” she said.
To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, click here.
This story originally appeared on the UAB News website.
