Hallelujah! A COVID vaccine for the littles!

PLUS: Not everyone wants to know if they have COVID

View this email online February 1, 2022 by Suzette Lohmeyer Happy Lunar New Year! Let's start off with good news: The COVID vaccine may be ready for kids under 5 this month! And now the not so great news: An alarming number of teachers are looking for the exit door. Plus, not everyone wants to know if they have COVID. Here we go... LA Johnson/NPR We love you, teachers! Where would we be without you? Unfortunately, it looks like we may find out. Some 55% of teachers say they will leave the profession sooner than they had originally planned because of stress the pandemic has put on their jobs, according to a new poll. OK, really think about that statistic: 55% of teachers. Yikes.  In the "ignorance is bliss" category, many people are finding reasons not to take a COVID test. Before you get on your moral soapbox, public health purists, it's not only those who want to go clubbing guilt-free. Many people skipping the swab are among the most marginalized and worry about what a positive test would mean for childcare, job security and finances.  Parents with very young kids, February may be your best month in a long time. The COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 5 years is looking like it might be ready very soon — as in, by the end of the month soon! That's way earlier than anticipated. Go ahead, do a little dance.  It's not a good time to be a hamster. Hong Kong killed thousands of the furry pet rodents after a report that 11 of them in a pet store, as well as a human employee, tested positive for COVID. So before you look up "tiny hamster masks" on Amazon, should you be worried about catching COVID from your pets?  Newsletter continues after sponsor message A time to celebrate Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images These days, it is especially important to focus on moments of celebration and joy. And today is one of those days, with the start of the Lunar New Year! Here's how some NPR staffers celebrate. 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