CDC: vaccine rates for flu and COVID low, putting people at higher risks

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - With the holiday season officially here, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and traditions.

It can be a joyful time of year, but it can also be a time when sickness spikes.

According to the CDC, vaccine rates for both flu and COVID-19 are low.

Doctors warn you to take precautions to keep you and your family safe this holiday season.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, only about 35% of adults have been vaccinated for flu and 17% for COVID-19.

“We know pairing that with the fact that we’re going to see increased holiday travel gatherings, people on planes together, holiday gatherings, in close proximity to each other really causes a concern for a risk of these things to spike,” Chippenham Hospital chief medical officer Dr. Rajiv Malhotra said.

Dr. Malhotra says flu and COVID-19 cases are down compared to this time last year, but that does not mean people should not get vaccinated.

“We know it prevents severe illness in patients, and then they modify the vaccine based on whatever variants are out there. So, the vaccines are constantly evolving. For the COVID-19 vaccine, we do much the same. The flu vaccine is a prediction of where they think the flu is going to go, but both of them have been shown to provide protection for patients,” Dr. Malhotra said.

People of all ages with immune disorders are at higher risk, so it is recommended that they get the vaccines sooner rather than later.

“People get on a plane; it’s a crowded space with re-circulated air, everyone is coughing and, et cetera,” Dr. Malhotra said. ”So, that’s one of the risks we see with that. The same with the holiday gatherings too. Everyone’s in close proximity, sitting around a dinner table. People are indoors more as opposed to outdoors because it’s cooler.”

Dr. Malhotra also recommends washing your hands frequently and coughing into your elbow.

He emphasizes it’s not too late to get your shots.

“So you shouldn’t think that, oh, it’s Thanksgiving. I don’t need to get it now because it’s too late,” Dr. Malhotra said.