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Though breakthrough cases are inevitable, health experts agree that if you've been vaccinated and had your booster, whether you're exposed to Delta or Omicron, you should be very well protected against serious disease that could put you in the hospital.
“We’ve seen cases of Omicron among those who are both vaccinated and boosted and we believe these cases are milder or asymptomatic because of vaccine protection,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House COVID-19 briefing on Friday, Dec. 17.
Preliminary lab studies indicate Omicron may not attack the lungs like other variants.
Omicron "replicates, multiples very well in the upper airway (above the neck), but less well in the lung," Top Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center told NBC News.
But Schaffner was quick to add that "at the moment, our sense of how ferocious, how deadly Omicron is remains in flux."
The CDC recommends those who are unvaccinated delay travel until they are fully vaccinated.
Schaffner advises those who plan on flying for the holidays to "Get on an airplane, but keep the mask on."
"I think we need to hang our stockings with care," Schaffner added. "I think we should all be vaccinated, and if eligible, boosted."
Houston Methodist Medical Center says that, "If you and your family are vaccinated, you're more protected from COVID-19. This means there's more flexibility in regard to what you can feel safe doing again, including spending time with your extended family.
"However, breakthrough infections are possible. So you'll need to continue to be cautious about gathering in very large groups, in indoor public settings, and with unvaccinated family members and friends — especially if anyone in your family is high risk."
Those guidelines were included in Houston Methodist's "Five Things To Consider Before Gathering With Family During COVID-19," available here.
President Biden is expected to address the nation to announce new measures to battle the virus on Tuesday, Dec. 21. The speech is expected to warn of a "dark winter" for those who remain unvaccinated.
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