GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) — This holiday weekend, AAA expects over 100 million Americans to travel. But state health leaders urge unvaccinated people to reconsider.
"If they're not [vaccinated], really, it's important that folks do not try to gather," Dr. Jeff Pothof said.
RELATED STORIES
- DHS issues public health advisory about the Omicron variant of COVID
- Military personnel will deploy to Green Bay to help hospital with COVID response
According to the UW Health Chief Quality Officer, only a group of people who are fully vaccinated with a booster shot should get together during Christmas time.
"There really isn't a place where unvaccinated people can gather together with their masks off and have a Christmas dinner in the setting of a highly contagious variant that's now starting to spread across the country," Pothof said.
At the most, he believes a party of 10 to 15 is the safest bet.
"It becomes a very risky endeavor knowing that the rate of infection among unvaccinated is many times higher than those who are vaccinated," Pothof said.
Experts say many will be faced with difficult conversations about vaccination status.
"The risk is just too high," Pothof said. "It's nothing against Uncle Eddie, but it has everything to do with the risk they pose to you."
That's why Green Bay counselors advise cautious locals to suggest an alternative to large gatherings.
"If you really don't feel comfortable, don't go and do something small with either like your spouse or a friend," New Wellness Associates LCSW Kelsey McNamee said. "Family will get used to it and have to. So do what's best for you."
And Pothof agrees. He tells Wisconsinites to make the best decision for themselves… and everyone else.
"We really do need to do a better job of coming together and caring about each other a little bit more than how much we care about ourselves," Pothof said.
Some additional tips from the CDC that you could practice around the holidays include self-testing, not hosting or attend a gathering if you are sick or have symptoms, and avoiding poorly ventilated spaces.
