How to safely host Thanksgiving with unvaccinated guests

Vaccination status is not a fun topic to talk about, especially over the holidays. Still, it’s the one thing that everyone is talking about and it’s of paramount importance when it comes to your family’s safety.

With family reunions around the corner, here are your options for this Thanksgiving:

Discuss it with potential guests

Photo by Aaron Blanco Tejedor via Unsplash

If you have a family you love who isn’t vaccinated, try to talk to them about meeting options while staying away from the political. It’s not easy, but stick to your safety measures and gather ideas that could lead to a gathering that, while different, could be beautiful nonetheless.

Use rapid tests

Photo by Mufid Majnun via Unsplash

Rapid COVID-19 tests could be a great way to bring everyone together and make sure people are mostly safe. These tests are especially useful when mixing groups from different households, different communities, and different states. These tests can be bought in bulk and given to people right before the party, which might be a bit of a hassle, but it can give you a little bit of reassurance. Remember, however, that rapid COVID-19 rest is not a guarantee that there is no infection.

Use what you have learned over the past year to your advantage

Photo by Gustavo Fring via Pexels

Like it or not, we’ve learned a lot about social distancing practices over the past two years. There are ways to stay safe or at least manage risk. Some rules you could impose would be to wear face masks indoors, take the party outside, and install outside heating to control the weather, and keep your distance where people are eating to minimize contact.

RELATED: Unvaccinated? You can expect to get infected with COVID-19 as often

As always, think about the level of transmission in your community. If your guests live in an area with high levels of COVID-19 infections and are unvaccinated, meeting them is a significant risk.

Be aware of the risk factor

Photo by Ekaterina Shakharova via Unsplash

Finally, it’s important to be aware of the fact that there are risks involved in dating people who are not vaccinated. When deciding on a vacation together, consider your age, the strength of your immune system, whether you have a need or not, and the lifestyle of your guests.

RELATED: COVID-19 Vaccine & Children – You Should Know That

Even if you don’t want to step on anyone’s feet, don’t pressurize yourself to hang out with people who have not been vaccinated. While you can try to argue with them and explain why they should, sometimes it is out of your control. It may be too late for people to get their shots before Thanksgiving, but it’s right on time for Christmas! So, if you didn’t get your loved ones because they are a little lazy, it’s fine. There is time to convince them.