Should you cancel your holiday plans because of the omicron variant?

As the United States braces for a potential omicron surge, you may be asking: Should I cancel or alter my holidays plans?  

"No, I would not advise vaccinated people to change their holiday plans due to omicron," said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious diseases doctor at UCSF.

Gandhi's response is very different for people who haven’t gotten a COVID-19 vaccination. "I would avoid parties and travel if I were an unvaccinated adult," she said. "Please get vaccinated if you are not yet vaccinated, as the vaccines are safe and effective."

Gandhi noted that, although disease-fighting antibodies from a COVID infection or vaccine can wane over time, and the virus can evolve to make it harder for antibodies to bind, they’re not the only line of defense. 

"T cells from the vaccine still work against Omicron and B cells (generated by the vaccines) adapt the new antibodies they produce to work against variants," Gandhi explained in an email....