Health experts worried about vaccine hesitancy heading into holidays, not just with COVID-19 vaccine – KRQE News 13

AUSTIN (KXAN) If youre planning to gather for the holidays, health experts are reminding that now is the time to get vaccinated not just for COVID-19, which has been making headlines, but for other transmittable diseases too.

While much attention has been paid to the COVID-19 vaccine this year, the Texas Medical Association (TMA) is reminding that flu is also a threat, especially this year, and for infants, pertussis, or whooping cough is always a big concern.

Certainly, you need to make sure that youre up to date on all your vaccines, particularly if were talking about pregnant women or if were talking about people who will be in contact with young infants, said Dr. C. Mary Healy, an associate professor of pediatrics specializing in infectious disease at the Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Childrens Hospital and a member of the Texas Medical Association.

Whooping cough can cause severe illness and be fatal for infants who are too young to be immunized. Babies under 1-year-old are at the greatest risk.

Heres whats recommended under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect against it:

They really should be vaccinated against everything that they can be vaccinated, Healy said.

As the COVID-19 vaccine has become a political topic, health leaders are concerned about hesitancy as they make this plea for people get their general vaccines this year.

But I think really we need to think about caring for others and that means getting vaccinated, Healy said. Get your vaccines, get your boosters and do everything you can to protect your loved ones.

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Health experts worried about vaccine hesitancy heading into holidays, not just with COVID-19 vaccine - KRQE News 13