Local doctor encourages vaccinations as winter holidays near

EL PASO, Texas–  Cooler weather is on the way and some experts are warning of a winter COVID-19 surge. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces its expanding updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccines to include children ages 5 through 11.

Some parents in the Borderland tell ABC-7 they have mixed emotions about the expanded age group. Still, they tell me they are taking extra precautions this winter. 

"Keep a little distance, respect peoples space, wash your hands, common practices and I think if we all do our little part, we'll be okay,” said El Paso resident,Troy Ainsworth. 

According to the CDC, this follows the Food and Drug Administration’s Authorization of updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer for children ages 5 through 11 years, and from Moderna for kids and teens from ages 6 through 17 years.

The updated COVID-19 vaccine is a booster that adds Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, this targets recent Omicron variants that are more transmissible.

With the cooler weather making its way, Sergio Alvarado, Desert Institute Family Medicine physician said people are more susceptible to respiratory infections due to the change in humidity, which puts more people at risk.

“We're going into the winter holidays, more gatherings, were also going into the winter sports, again more indoor sports, so it's a higher risk for them,” said Alvarado.

He recommends getting the booster and the flu shot as the winter season approaches. 

“Don’t forget about the flu vaccine, this year it looks like were going to have a strain that's a little bit more severe so make sure you get the flu vaccine as well,” he said.

For more information on where you can get COVID vaccinations click here.