Though still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Thanksgiving celebrations are sure to look different than last year’s thanks to the availability of vaccines: people are traveling to see their loved ones, reuniting around the dinner table, and reigniting past traditions.
This year marks a stark contrast to the holiday season of 2020, when public health officials stressed that the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving was with immediate household members only. Now, experts say it’s safe for vaccinated people to take part in indoor celebrations.
“For the people who are vaccinated, the people who can get boosted, enjoy your holiday season with your family. Indoors, grandparents, children, do it,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said on CNN on Sunday.
While enjoying turkey and stuffing around the dinner table marks another step closer to pre-pandemic life, the virus is still a threat, and COVID-19 cases are rising. In order to reduce the risk of spreading the virus at your holiday gathering this year, there are a number of precautions experts say you can take.
Here are a few ways to have a safer gathering.
Be vaccinated
Experts have stressed that the best way to protect yourself and others around you from the virus is to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Last year many families did not gather and celebrations went without parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a White House COVID-19 briefing on Monday. “This year, I’m more optimistic. I’ve heard from many families who are now able to reunite because of the protection from COVID-19 vaccines.”
The US just last week expanded the eligibility of booster shots to all adults and recommended that people 50 and older receive the extra dose. Walensky on Monday cited boosting protection against the virus ahead of holiday travel and gatherings as one consideration for broadening the availability of the shots.
“Heading into the winter months when respiratory viruses are more likely to spread and with plans for increased holiday season travel and gathering, boosting people’s overall protection against COVID-19 disease and death was important to do now,” Walensky said.
Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington, said on MSNBC Monday that boosters provide “near-immediate benefits.”
“If you are 18 and older, you’ve gotten your two-shot series, getting a booster if you haven’t already… you can get near-immediate benefits from that within, say, 48 hours,” Gupta said. “That’s when that booster starts to take effect. Fifty and older, vital you get that booster as quickly as possible, for 18 and up, you should still get it.”
There are additional measures to consider if people who are unvaccinated are attending your Thanksgiving celebration, experts say.
The CDC recommends that everyone wear masks if there are people in attendance who are unvaccinated, have a weakened immune system, or an underlying medical condition.
In response to a question from a reporter about what to do if there are unvaccinated people present at a Thanksgiving gathering, Walensky said during the briefing that there are prevention measures available, including COVID-19 testing.
“Much of this depends on the specific situation, whether there are vulnerable people in the household, how well an unvaccinated person might be practicing other prevention measures,” Walensky said. “And then of course, as we noted before, the capacity to take a test to put an extra layer of prevention in place before people gather.”
Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency room doctor and associate professor of emergency medicine and public health at Brown University, said in an NBC opinion piece that among the ways to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 is to reduce the number of people who are attending your gathering, particularly if there are a number of people who are not vaccinated and if you live in an area with a high number of COVID-19 cases.
Wear a mask in certain circumstances
Gathering for Thanksgiving for many involves traveling. One way to mitigate the risk of catching the virus when you’re among people with unknown vaccination status is to wear a mask in indoor, crowded spaces.
Those who are traveling for their gatherings are required to wear masks while in an airport, on the plane, and on a bus or train. But experts are also urging people to wear masks in public under certain circumstances.
The CDC advises those who are fully vaccinated to wear a well-fitting mask in public, indoor settings in communities with substantial to high transmission.
Most of the United States is considered a “high” or “substantial” transmission area, including all of Massachusetts, according to the CDC.
Rapid tests
Taking a rapid COVID-19 test the morning of your Thanksgiving gathering is another useful tool, experts say.
Rapid COVID-19 tests indicate whether a person is contagious the moment they take the test and provide results in 10 to 15 minutes, Stephen Kissler, an epidemiologist and postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, previously told the Globe.
The tests can be purchased at pharmacies or large retailers like CVS or Walgreens. A box of two tests currently goes for $14 at Walmart.
If you’re feeling sick or having symptoms of COVID-19, the CDC recommends you don’t host or attend a gathering.
Ventilation
Allowing fresh air in to your Thanksgiving gathering — or holding it outside — is another way to add a layer of safety, experts say.
“Think about ventilation,” Michael Mina, an epidemiologist and former professor at Harvard’s Chan school, said on Twitter about gathering safely for Thanksgiving. “Open windows if the weather permits. Have thanksgiving outside if you’re in a warm place. If cold out, think about getting a portable HEPA air filter or other DIY filters. They work!”
Some other things you can do:
Think about ventilation. Open windows if the weather permits. Have thanksgiving outside if you’re in a warm place.
If cold out, think about getting a portable HEPA air filter or other DIY filters. They work!
2/
— Michael Mina (@michaelmina_lab) November 14, 2021
The CDC also suggests avoiding crowded, poorly ventilated spaces and notes that spending time outdoors is safer than being indoors. While indoor gatherings among vaccinated people are safe, experts have said an additional layer of protection includes holding the gathering outside if the weather permits, as the virus is more likely to be transmitted indoors.
Felice Freyer and Christina Prignano of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
Amanda Kaufman can be reached at amanda.kaufman@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandakauf1.
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