Dallas Health Officials Join Forces with the Head of CDC to Fight COVID During the Holidays

By sylvia Dunnavant Hines

Over the upcoming holiday season many families and friends will gather together to pass turkey, stuffing and peas, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is hoping that the flu and COVID are not among the things are being passed around for the holidays.

“I am here ahead of Thanksgiving to remind folks to make sure that they are protecting themselves as we get into this holiday season. We know that we are going to see more COVID and more cases of the flu. In the state of Texas, we are already seeing a high amount of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) circulating in the community. We want folks to use the tools that we know of to protect themselves,” said Dr. Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH, the Director of CDC.

During her recent visit at a vaccine clinic at the Dallas County Health Department, Dr. Cohen’s reiterated the core message of local health officials which was to make you are vaccinated in order to stay ahead of the upcoming seasonal large gatherings.

As one of the nation’s top health leaders, Dr. Cohen gave three reasons that people should get their updated COVID and flu vaccinations.

1. Both the flu virus and the COVID virus have been changing so you need updated protection.
2. Your protection decreases over time. Even if you have had COVID already and have been vaccinated, your overall protection decreases with time.
3.  There are cases of people developing extended symptoms called Long COVID. Getting vaccinated can reduce your risk of getting an extended timeframe of COVID symptoms.

“We want to make sure that we are getting the word out. It is not just vaccinations alone.  Testing is also important during this season. If you are not feeling well, particularly during Thanksgiving, stay home. Then get tested, “advised Dr. Cohen.

As Dallas health officials try to stay ahead of any potential health outbreaks, Dr. Cohen stated that it is not just important to know that you are sick, but to know whether you have COVID or the flu so that you can access the appropriate treatment.

During the health advisory session, Judge Clay Jenkins shared a personal testimony of his 92-year-old mother recently getting COVID.

“Mama had got the new vaccine that matches with the new COVID virus.  Even at her age, her symptoms were not that bad. She was only in bed for a few days,” stated Judge Jenkins as he encouraged Dallas residents to take advantage of the newest version of the COVID vaccine.

The team of health officials also included Dallas Country Health and Human Service Director, Dr. Philip Huan and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.

“This is one of those things that it takes everyone to make sure that we win.  We made it to the other side of COVID, but let me tell you that was not easy.  If you think back to when COVID first started, we were all very nervous. We were scared. Some of us unfortunately lost loved ones to the disease. Because of the hard work of those that believe in data and science we were able to make sure that we got a vaccine out in record time.  That vaccine saved lives.

It cannot be stated enough, that it is important that you keep up with your vaccinations.  Especially since we are heading into Thanksgiving and we know that we are going to be with our aunts, uncles, grandparents.  It is important that we are not just looking out for ourselves, but we are looking out for the most vulnerable amongst us and we are making sure that we are helping to keep them safe, “said Congresswoman Crokett.

The dedicated health team of health advocates wanted to make sure that people were aware that with insurance the updated vaccinations are free. For those that do not have insurance Dallas County also offers the most current vaccinations at no charge.

“We know all the things that we have learned over the last few years is to layer our protection: vaccines, testing, treatment, staying home if you are sick, using a mask to protect yourself, washing your hands, and ventilations.  There are so many tools that we have. We just need to use them to protect each other over the holidays,” stated Dr. Cohen.