Vaccination Seating at the Thanksgiving Table

For families who celebrated Thanksgiving 2020 gathered not around a table but a Zoom screen, the thought of seeing loved ones in person is one of the most anticipated gifts of the season. And I don’t mean through a window. But between concerns with vaccines and Covid variants, some family members are questioning whether it is worth the risk.

Source: Image by Maggie Poo on Pixbay

Post-Pandemic Poultry Planning

At the beginning of 2020, we experienced what I refer to as the bonding power of social distancing about how being forced to stay apart brought us closer together. Approaching a holiday season where we are finally able to get together, many people are afraid to do so. And this year, seating around the Thanksgiving table this year may depend not on voting record, but vaccination status.

And how do you bring up the subject in the first place? Vaccination status has crept onto the list of taboo topics, alongside sex and politics. Regarding documentation, you probably are not going to require beloved Aunt May to flash her QR code at the door, assuming she even has a smartphone. If you are using the honor system, you are taking a leap of faith. Perhaps you take a lesson from three-time MVP NFL great Aaron Rodgers, who came under fire for misleading the public about his vaccination status,[i] and require guests to represent they are “vaccinated” not “immunized.”

And regarding face coverings, do hosts literally stifle holiday conversation by requiring guests to be both vaxxed and masked? After all, many vaccinated people are still uneasy about being around others who are unmasked, even if they are vaccinated. And who polices the room? “Uncle Joe, I am going to have to ask you to put your mask back on.”

Add to the mix the fact that in most households, the Thanksgiving meal is not characterized by restraint. All of that delightful indulgence and accompanying conversation will occur without a mask. So unless you have everyone also wearing plastic shields and managing to remember they have them on (so as to avoid smashing them with an incoming fork or wine glass), it is impossible to escape the risk completely.

Vaccine Psychology

Thomas O’Rourke and Nicholas Iammarino (2021) discussed the psychology of vaccination in an article entitled “The COVID-19 Challenge Now Is Getting Into Heads, Arms Will Follow.”[ii] They note that many diverse methods of encouraging vaccination have been effective, including public outreach and educational campaigns, increasing number of vaccine sites, relaxed eligibility requirements, and employment based incentives. They acknowledge the challenge now that a significant percentage of the population has been vaccinated, is persuading those who are eligible, but remain vaccine-resistant. To this end, they support messaging by health professionals and educators that is behaviorally oriented, but also “factually accurate, persuasive and relevant, and culturally and linguistically appropriate.”

But even if your Thanksgiving table will include one or more health care professionals, it is still probably not the right venue for such discussion. Not to mention the fact that you may have guests in attendance that have medical or religious exemptions. So then, how do loved ones safely regroup this holiday season? Here are some ideas:

The Great Outdoors

The viability of this option depends on where you live. November is a different experience in Miami compared to Minneapolis—although heat lamps can warm up the area. This option is best employed as all or nothing, to avoid having to relegate only the unvaccinated family patriarch to the patio.

Rapid Tests for Everyone

Some families don’t discriminate; providing rapid tests for everyone, regardless of vaccination status. Make sure you have a plan, however, for someone who comes out the wrong way.

One possibility, certainly not a coveted choice, is a pre-meal social hour on Zoom. Ultra-cautious or immunocompromised loved ones at least have a chance to see everyone, albeit virtually.

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As we enter another unusual holiday season, striving to strike the right balance of party planning and illness prevention, we remember the reason for the season. Let us enjoy friends, family, faith and fellowship, with thanks for everything we are blessed to have.