Ask family members if they are vaccinated before inviting to Thanksgiving, top doctors say – National

Canada’s top doctors say you should ask your family members if they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 before inviting them over to Thanksgiving dinner.

Depending on their response, they added, you might want to change your plans, move dinner outside, or add extra precautions to your event.

“Our advice really is that, overall, keep gatherings safe indoors by asking your guests… your family… if they’ve been vaccinated or not,” said Dr. Theresa Tam, Administrator of head of public health.

“This is sometimes a difficult question.

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Tam said if you or your guests are not fully immunized then you “should limit the gathering to members of your household” and “have things outside as much as possible”.

His comments follow news that the COVID-19 pandemic could stabilize in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

Although progress has been uneven across the country, new modeling presented by PHAC on Friday suggests that if current transmission levels are maintained, the number of new daily cases could decline over the coming weeks.

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In order to keep things in the right direction, Tam said Canadians should continue to take precautions.

Finding out about guests’ immunization status before Thanksgiving dinner is just one step you can take, she said, adding that Canadians can “put some basic measures in place, such as improvement of indoor ventilation “.

Tam added that masking and spacing are also useful tools you can use while on vacation, in addition to following your local public health guidelines.

Tam’s deputy, Dr Howard Njoo, said Canadians should not hesitate to talk to their friends and family about their immunization status and voice their concerns.

“If, say… a family member is not vaccinated, you should politely explain your situation and your level of discomfort. And if they choose not to be vaccinated, then that is their choice, ”Njoo said.

“But there are consequences in terms of even family dynamics and others feeling safe to come together.”

Having this sometimes difficult conversation with unvaccinated parents is actually the most ethical thing you can do, according to bioethicist Vardit Ravitsky, who teaches at the University of Montreal and Harvard Medical School.

“It’s absolutely reasonable, beyond reason. I think it’s totally ethical, ”Ravitsky said in a previous interview with Global News.

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“I think the people who should be concerned about the ethical aspects of their decisions are the ones who choose not to get the vaccine.”

She said those who choose not to be vaccinated aren’t just taking the risk of driving without a seatbelt – they’re driving drunk.

“Not being vaccinated is driving drunk. You actually risk others, ”Ravitsky said.

“And so I think that even in this very, very sensitive context of the fam

friends and friends, part of our ethical responsibility at this time is still to educate, defend

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Tough conversations about your Thanksgiving guest list

vaccination and trying to convince our relatives and friends to do the right thing.

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Ravitsky said it’s best to have these conversations with hesitant Canadians about immunization with “respect and empathy” and make sure you don’t laugh at their concerns.

Come from a place of empathy. Say things like, “I understand that you feel pressured. I understand that you feel threatened. Usually our human rights and freedoms are the main consideration in our society, but we live in a very special time, ”she said.

“This is all temporary. We will get out of this. But to get out of it and get back to respect for human rights and your freedom to choose what to do, we need the vaccine. “

As for Tam and Njoo, they say they plan to celebrate Thanksgiving with their family this weekend. While Tam says she could keep things virtual, Njoo invites her immediate family over for dinner – and they’re all fully vaccinated.

“My wife and I are fully vaccinated so it’s okay, and we actually plan to have face-to-face meetings with immediate family members who, we discussed with them, are also fully vaccinated,” Njoo said. . .

“I think we are lucky.

– With a file from Leslie Young of Global News

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