Should you ask holiday guests to get vaccinated and take covid tests? ​

If guests push back, turn the focus on yourself and your concerns about keeping everyone safe, says Anisha Patel-Dunn, D.O., a practicing psychiatrist and chief medical officer at

LifeStance Health: “You could position your feedback as … ‘I would feel uncomfortable hosting you and putting you at risk knowing that you’re unvaccinated.’ ” ​ AT-RISK PEOPLE MAY FEEL

DIFFERENTLY Immunocompromised people may have to take a stricter approach. Annie Sisk, 56, of Binghamton, New York, is medically vulnerable and lives with her daughter. This year, she and

her daughter celebrated Thanksgiving at home together, without guests. “I don’t feel comfortable letting anyone inside our home since COVID is definitely not over and so many people haven’t

been boosted fully and so many more are behaving in really questionable ways as if the virus just vanished,” she says. “I don’t feel safe, being diabetic and having hypertension. Those

conditions are controlled, but I’m not taking any chances.” Doron recommends people with risk factors for severe COVID-19, like a preexisting condition, go into their holiday season with a

plan to get tested and treated for COVID-19 if symptoms develop. “That means having tests on hand, knowing that repeated testing is necessary since the test can be negative in the first few

days of symptoms, knowing if you are able to take Paxlovid (people on certain medications cannot) and knowing how you will get it. Talk to your doctor before you get infected,” she says.

It’s also a good idea to work out any extra precautions you may need to take around at-risk loved ones. In 2021, Anne Lenholm, 54, took her daughter to Florida to visit her parents and

101-year-old grandfather for Hanukkah. They masked up on the plane and took PCR tests upon landing and waited out the results before going to see her family. This year, she planned another

trip with her daughter, with a stopover to see her parents and grandfather in Florida again this Hanukkah. “I am going to have us do the visit with family first, putting into place similar

protocol to what we had last year,” she says. “If my parents and grandfather want to waive it, we will. Otherwise, I want to make sure with numbers rising again, that we aren’t the ones to

infect them.” Other people are taking comfort in the fact that they’ve been vaccinated or likely exposed and will be gathering more confidently. Last year for Thanksgiving, David Hampshere

enjoyed a video chat with his children during the holidays; this year, he was excited to get back out to celebrate. He attended dinner at a niece’s house, followed by a walk along the beach.

Not all of his family members are vaccinated, but having received his booster shot, Hampshere felt safe around them. “I don’t ask people around me to get vaccinations; I take care of my own

health, including vaccinations,” he says. “However, I stay careful by keeping a distance from strangers whenever possible.”  What to Say When Asking if Someone Is Vaccinated _Editor's

note: This article was originally published on November 11, 2021. It has been updated to reflect new information._ _Nicole Pajer is a contributing writer who covers health, culture and

entertainment. She has also written for _The New York Times, Parade, Woman’s Day _and_ Wired.