Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and many people will be reuniting with family and friends during the holiday despite the ongoing pandemic.
Experts have warned of a possible increase in COVID-19 transmissions, so they are urging everyone to take precautionary measures before joining reunions and dinner parties.
Getting the vaccine boosters can help people reduce the risk of contracting the virus and spreading it to their loved ones this Thanksgiving.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has already recommended the updated bivalent boosters from Pfizer and Moderna and even the monovalent vaccine from Novavax.
The updated boosters have a different formula from the original SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and booster, making them ideal against the dominant omicron variant and its highly contagious subvariants.
But when is the best time to get boosted to stay protected during Thanksgiving?
Experts weighed in on the ideal time to get the booster vaccines, and they agreed that eligible individuals should get the shot at least two weeks before the holiday, HuffPost reported.
“It can take a good two weeks to get the full effect of the vaccine,” said infectious diseases specialist at the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine Dr. David Wohl.
Since Thanksgiving is taking place on Nov. 24, the best time to get boosted would be on Nov. 10.
Temple University’s School of Pharmacy clinical professor Dr. Jason Gallagher told HuffPost that even though the booster shots take effect more quickly than the original vaccine and could be fully effective before the two-week mark, getting the updated boosters around the same date is a safe guarantee for full efficacy.
However, he also said that “from a logistics standpoint,” it’s best to get boosted now because many people might also follow the same plan, and setting an appointment would become a challenge once the holiday draws closer.
According to the experts, everyone must get their vaccines and boosters once they become available in their area to protect not only themselves but also their loved ones.