'Tis the season.

If you've been debating getting the vaccine, you might find the upcoming holiday season giving you a reason to get the jab. Here, we'll break down the vaccination deadlines for each holiday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "people are considered fully vaccinated ... 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or...2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine."

As Mashable explains it, "For all the vaccines, our immune systems aren't as prepared to stop an infection or avoid severe disease (the type that sends people to the hospital or kills) until those two weeks elapse." The extra time makes a 10% difference in immunity immediately after, and an even more significant one after six months.

So, given the 14-day requirement, when should you receive your first (or only) jab for each holiday?

For Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, the 2-dose vaccination deadlines have already passed (October 21 and October 24, respectively). But that doesn't mean you can't be vaccinated beforehand. For people willing to take the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot (here's an update, if you have concerns), you have up until November 11 and November 14 to be vaccinated before Thanksgiving and/or Hanukkah. 

For Christmas, you have until November 13 to get your first Moderna shot, November 20 to receive the first Pfizer shot, or December 11 to get your Johnson & Johnson jab.

Sooner is better than later, of course—these deadlines are the latest possible, so if you were to run one day late on your first J & J shot or on your second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, Christmas would be over and gone before you were fully vaccinated. And if, like many families, you have pre-holiday traditions, that's even more reason to go ahead and get vaccinated as soon as you can—all the better to enjoy lighting the menorah as a family or re-enacting the nativity on Christmas Eve. 

If you don't intend to get the vaccination before the holidays, please consider this New York Times guide on how to handle mixed-vaccination holidays so that you and your vaccinated friends and family alike can feel safe.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! Let us know your thoughts in the comments!