Current:Home > MarketsNot vaccinated for COVID or flu yet? Now's the time ahead of Thanksgiving, CDC director says.-InfoLens
Not vaccinated for COVID or flu yet? Now's the time ahead of Thanksgiving, CDC director says.
View Date:2025-01-10 05:06:00
With Thanksgiving only two weeks away, now's the time to get protected against potentially deadly fall viruses.
In an interview with CBS News, Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said this is the best window to get vaccinated to protect yourself and your family for the holiday.
"We know we're going to see more flu starting to circulate, and more COVID, so right now is a great time for you to get vaccinated. That way, your body can build up its protection ahead of the holiday season," she said.
Cohen got her COVID shot last month and acknowledged COVID vaccine uptake in the U.S. is a little slow.
"I know folks want to leave COVID in the rear-view mirror, but unfortunately it is still here, and is still causing folks to get very sick and even die," she said.
The CDC says it expects to see flu, COVID and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, all circulating at the same time this season, but how severely could depend on vaccination levels.
For RSV, an illness that typically causes cold-like symptoms but can sometimes be severe, especially for infants and older adults, there are a few prevention tools, including an immunization to protect babies and a vaccine for people ages 60 and up.
"Talk to your health care provider and see if they recommend it for you," Dr. Céline Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, suggested earlier this fall.
Even if you are fully vaccinated, there are additional precautions to consider for Thanksgiving gatherings, including staying home if you're sick, wearing a mask in some situations, and increasing ventilation. If weather allows, for example, consider a meal outside.
"It's really about, Who are you? What's your personal risk? And who are you going to be around?" Cohen says.
- In:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- COVID-19 Vaccine
- COVID-19
- Flu Season
- Influenza
Michael George is a correspondent for CBS Newspath based in New York City.
TwitterveryGood! (34537)
Related
- Mike Tomlin's widely questioned QB switch to Russell Wilson has quieted Steelers' critics
- Mae Whitman Is Pregnant, Shares She’s Expecting Baby With Parenthood Reunion Photo
- US plans to impose major new tariffs on EVs, other Chinese green energy imports, AP sources say
- Trevor Noah weighs in on Kendrick vs. Drake, swerves a fan's gift at Hollywood Bowl show
- Arbitrator upholds 5-year bans of Bad Bunny baseball agency leaders, cuts agent penalty to 3 years
- Lysander Clark's Journey into Quantitative Trading
- Fine dining, at a new high. A Michelin-starred chef will take his cuisine to our upper atmosphere
- Indigenous fashion takes the runway with an eye to history — and the future
- Bull doge! Dogecoin soars as Trump announces a government efficiency group nicknamed DOGE
- 'American Idol' recap: Emmy Russell and Triston Harper are sent home, revealing the Top 3
Ranking
- Mike Tyson employs two trainers who 'work like a dream team' as Jake Paul fight nears
- RFK Jr. reverses abortion stance again after confusion, contradictions emerge within campaign
- Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country’s police chief after a new gang attack
- Thousands of students cross the border from Mexico to U.S. for school. Some are now set to graduate.
- Stressing over Election Day? Try these apps and tools to calm your nerves
- Nigeria’s fashion and dancing styles in the spotlight as Harry, Meghan visit its largest city
- Travis Barker Shares Never-Before-Seen Photos of Kourtney Kardashian and Baby Rocky for Mother's Day
- Flash floods in northern Afghanistan sweep away livelihoods, leaving hundreds dead and missing
Recommendation
-
Why Cynthia Erivo Needed Prosthetic Ears for Wicked
-
Halle Bailey, Lindsay Lohan and more first-time celebrity moms celebrate Mother's Day 2024
-
Rise in UK knife attacks leads to a crackdown and stokes public anxiety
-
Sudan’s military fends off an attack by paramilitary forces on a major Darfur city
-
Get well, Pop. The Spurs are in great hands until your return
-
Denver Nuggets seize opportunity to even up NBA playoff series vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
-
Flash floods in northern Afghanistan sweep away livelihoods, leaving hundreds dead and missing
-
A top Cambodian opposition politician is charged with inciting disorder for criticizing government