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Morning Edition
Phil Picardi and Gracie Stockton

Sniffles? Cough? Just a little cold? How to keep yourself and others healthy this holiday

Woman-suffers-from-sniffles
Woman suffers from sniffles.
Andrea Piacquadio | 2022

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Flu shot rates among Americans are low this fall. COVID-19 boosters are even lower. And Minnesota health officials are disappointed those immunizations, including RSV, are lower than they’d like.

Karen Martin, epidemiologist supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Health, says it’s important to remember that vaccines may not prevent disease but do provide significant protection from severe complications and death.

“While you’re driving a car, you know, if you’re wearing a seat belt, it’s not necessarily going to stop you from getting in an accident, it's certainly going to keep you from some of those more severe injuries,” she said. “It’s not too late to get vaccinated… We have a long winter, a long respiratory season in Minnesota, and so getting it now is a great idea.”

Martin said that although misinformation might contribute to lower vaccination rates, she recognizes that planning and appointment-making is a factors as well. The Centers for Disease Control found many Americans intended to get vaccinated but haven’t gotten around to it.

While it’s too late to get the benefits from a vaccine for Thanksgiving, there is ample time for them to work ahead of other holidays, like Christmas and New Year’s Eve. For now, the basics of washing your hands and covering coughs and sneezes are a good start.

“If you really are ill, you know, consider staying home, especially if you’re planning on being with folks that are older or are medically frail or immune compromised,” Martin said. “That’s not a gift that you want to be giving over the holidays.”

If someone shows up on your doorstep with the sniffles or a sore throat, asking them to skip the celebrations can be complicated. Martin suggests sticking with the facts and avoiding being confrontational.

“You can control what you can control,” she said. If you’re worried about yourself or others, putting on a mask when not eating is always an option. “I think that the one good thing about, or one of the silver linings of COVID is that it has normalized the protection that masks can provide.”