How long your booster will last

PLUS: Parents scream it out

View this email online January 21, 2022 by Suzette Lohmeyer and Rachel Treisman It's Friday! You made it! Today, we look at how long a COVID booster will protect you, Starbucks' vaccination rule reversal, and Adele's big Vegas news.  Is the booster worth it? I mean ... it only lasts a short while, right? While it's true, say experts, that when it comes to really keeping a COVID infection away, the booster only lasts a few months. BUT as far as severe disease goes (as in, paging Dr. Hospital severe disease) the booster has much longer-lasting effects. Here's a rundown of what kind of protection you can expect from the shot.  Screenshot by NPR/Twitter Adele apologizes for breaking our hearts ... even though she tried ... so we'll just have to say hello from the outside. The talented British songbird tearfully announced via social media on Thursday the postponement of her Las Vegas residency due to COVID-related issues — just one day before it was slated to begin. So I guess that means what happens in Vegas ... can really affect your travel plans, big-time.  Do you care if your $5 skim vanilla latte is made by an unvaccinated barista? Starbucks is no longer requiring its U.S. workers to get a COVID vaccine, reversing a plan it announced earlier this month. The company said the "vast majority" of its workers are fully vaccinated, but wouldn't actually define "vast."  Parents and caregivers of young children are in a special kind of hell right now. The littles are too young to be vaccinated and won't wear masks consistently (also kids, not so much with keeping saliva to themselves). So, not suprisingly, COVID is spreading, daycares are shutting down, and parents are losing their minds. One group of Boston moms dealt with the stress by gathering together and letting out a long, loud primal scream.  Newsletter continues after sponsor message What's Your Story? Courtesy of Rosanne Dippell Rosanne Dippell of Malvern, Pa., tells us she and her family are “making it through with an abundance of caution” — celebrating Christmas outside and her granddaughter’s first two birthdays on Zoom, for example. But the latest back-and-forth on masks threw her for a loop. “I found myself talking to the CDC like an impatient parent to a child,” she writes. “‘What is it now? The old ones aren't good enough for you? What do you mean my cloth ones are the worst even though I always wash them after wearing them once? Just great. What am I supposed to do with the dozens I have? Use them as facecloths? Napkins? Tissues? Do you think I'm made of money!?’” At the time, Dippell was debating going to West Side Story in the theater. She ordered a bunch of N95s, and says she’ll most likely go to the movies during off-peak hours and with her new mask on. (Speaking of which, here are NPR’s tips on finding the best medical masks.)   We want to hear your pandemic stories — how you're dealing with the stress, how you're feeling, whatever you want to tell us! Send your stories, insights and photos to thenewnormal@npr.org. You could be featured in an upcoming edition of The New Normal newsletter! Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WBEZ (edit station). What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: thenewnormal@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to New Normal emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy