It is the time of year when many friends and family gather to celebrate. Here are two reminders to help make sure you spread joy, not germs this holiday season.

Prevent the Spread of Respiratory Viruses like COVID-19, Flu, and RSV

Gatherings, travel, and more time indoors with others are prime opportunities to spread viruses, like COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Fortunately, we have tools available to prevent these viruses from spreading. Every tool you use increases your protection.

• Get up to date on your vaccines. For the first time, there are immunizations available to protect against severe illness caused by all three of the major fall and winter respiratory viruses – COVID-19, flu, and RSV. People 6 months and older should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine and a seasonal flu vaccine. People who are 60 years or older, pregnant, or parents of infants should talk to a healthcare provider about RSV immunization. It typically takes a couple weeks after vaccination for the body to build immunity, so now is a good time to get the recommended immunizations before the season gets even busier.
• Take the right steps if you are sick. Stay home if you are sick and cover coughs and sneezes to help protect others from getting sick too. If you have symptoms of a respiratory virus, get tested for COVID-19 (or other virus if your doctor recommends it) so you know if you need to get treatment or take other steps like wearing a mask.
• Keep up healthy habits. Wash your hands often and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth to keep germs from spreading. Gathering outdoors or improving indoor air quality when possible, also helps. Wearing a high-quality mask can also help reduce the spread of viruses, especially when you cannot improve air quality like when traveling or if you are at a higher risk for severe illness.

See more information about staying healthy this holiday season from the CDC.

Practice Food Safety to Avoid Food Poisoning

No matter which foods gets you in the holiday spirit, remembering food safety basics can make sure your dish is memorable for the right reasons.

• Serving food at buffets. If you are serving a buffet-style dinner, there are ways to serve safely. Make sure your foods are cooked and served at the right temperature. That means keeping hot foods at 140°F or warmer and cold foods at 40°F or below. See cooking temperature guides and ways to serve your food safely.
• Food delivery. Whether you are sending a food gift or treating yourself to some takeout, there are some easy ways to make sure your food stays safe. For example, make sure perishable food doesn’t sit out for more than 2 hours and that hot food stays hot and cold food stays cold. See these delivery tips from FoodSafety.gov.
• Say no to raw dough. Raw dough and batter can make you sick because flour and eggs can contain E. coli and Salmonella (germs that can cause food poisoning). Stay healthy when baking: don’t eat or taste raw dough or batter. And don’t let children handle raw dough for play clay or crafts. See how to Stay Safe When Handling Flour and Eggs.

Visit our website Food Safety information.