JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - In a virtual briefing Tuesday, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs addressed the upcoming holidays and the future of a vaccine.

He urges Mississippians to celebrate with close family members only instead of larger crowds.

“Please, as you’re making your holiday plans, keep it small,” Dobbs said.

As far as an upcoming vaccine, Dobbs said there are challenges such as storing the vaccine in extremely cold environments.

He said his team has identified resources to make sure they can properly store the vaccine. Some facilities in the state have freezers capable of reaching the sub-zero temperatures needed to properly store the vaccine.

“The container that it [vaccine] comes in is kept cold with dry ice, and that’s something that we can continue to recharge to make sure we maintain the safety of the vaccine," Dobbs said. "And then after it’s thawed out, it can go for several days within a refrigerator.”

Dobbs also mentioned the practicality of another potential lockdown saying he doesn't believe that will be necessary.

“You don’t have to lock down to stop COVID, and we don’t want people to lose their jobs or anything like that," he stated. "So just based on the transmission dynamics of the virus, there’s a lot of things we can do before we’d ever consider doing that.”

Simple actions work in stopping the spread, he said, such as wearing masks. He also said churches can have gatherings safely if social distancing and masks are used; however, he added that virtual church meetings do make sense.