BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Angela Carlson and her family are gearing up for a small Christmas gathering. It will be her first with her 6-month-old son.
“Just having a young child that is unprotected, we just want to make sure everyone is healthy. And so that way we can celebrate without having any anxiety,” said Carlson.
Carlson is doing that, not by just making sure everyone attending the Christmas gathering is vaccinated. She’s doing making sure everyone is tested too.
A good idea, according to Dr. Thomas Russo, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo
“If there's someone that's vulnerable present, particularly if they're unvaccinated or they don't have optimal protection from the booster dose, that everyone attending the festivities, ideally could get a rapid test that day. It’s an added layer of protection. A rapid test is not perfect but that will at least decrease the chances that someone infectious shows up for the party,” said Russo.
CVS and Walgreens are limiting the number of rapid, at-home tests a person can buy. CVS is only allowing six tests per person. Walgreens is allowing four per person.
For Carlson, it just makes sense to make sure her family, especially her son, is protected from COVID-19.
“They're fairly inexpensive,” added Carlson. “I think it's well worth it.”
