Editorial: Enjoy the holiday season with COVID-19 peace of mind

A booster shot serves as a highly effective method in preventing serious hospitalization and even a painful death.

Editorial is the opinion of Gilroy Life

Let’s give our Gilroy community a gift of public health by taking a few minutes during the busy holiday season and getting a jab to keep each other safe from COVID-19.

As of Dec. 2, 415,115 Santa Clara County residents had received their booster shot. Protecting our families, schools, workplaces, and ourselves becomes even more important with many people gathering with family and friends. While we can feel proud community case rates in the county are currently flat, elsewhere in California rates are steadily increasing as the initial vaccine protection is decreasing over time.

A booster shot serves as a highly effective method in preventing serious hospitalization and even a painful death. Dr. Sara Cody, the county’s health officer and director of public health, especially urges residents or people who work in the county who are 65 and older to receive the booster shot. Individuals who live in a long-term care facility or are 50 years and older who have an underlying medical condition should likewise protect themselves by getting the jab. The  inoculation is appropriate for almost everyone ages 18 and older six months following their last Pfizer or Moderna vaccination, or two months following the Johnson & Johnson vaccination.

Getting the COVID-19 initial shots or a booster protects our quality of life. According to research from the University of Michigan, on a global basis more than 40 percent of COVID-19 survivors have had lingering after-effects of the illness. These symptoms include shortness of breath, liver damage and memory problems.

Coronavirus cases across the United States are rising. More than 100,000 Americans a day are getting the disease. Experts fear a surge will be fueled from Thanksgiving weekend travel when tens of millions of us traveled for indoor celebrations with family and friends. With the winter cold weather, more people stay indoors, providing more opportunity for the virus to transmit from infected individuals to healthy ones.

Let’s give the gift of health to our fellow South Valley residents during the holidays. If you’re not vaccinated, get the inoculation. And if you have been vaccinated, get the booster. And if you have children 5 years or older, make sure you get them inoculated for COVID-19 now to ensure your family is protected as we enter a new year.

Let’s help everyone in the South Valley enjoy the holiday season with the peace of mind they will be safer from COVID-19.