Some parents mull a fib after toddler vaccine delay

Also: the spicy history of New England hot chocolate; the best (and worst) Super Bowl ads [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 14, 2022 ⛅ Cloudy, then turning sunny, with a high near 22. Good Morning Boston, Hope you enjoyed that surprisingly snowy [Super Bowl]( Sunday. It'll stay chilly today, but we have another false spring to look forward to later this week, with the temperatures approaching 60 degrees on Thursday. Also, it's Valentine's Day. Coupled up or not, if you're snacking on candy you may notice new, positive messages on NECCO's Sweethearts. That's because the Ohio company that bought the Revere-based candymaker out of bankruptcy added 16 encouraging phrases to the 121-year-old heart-shaped candies this year, according to the Cleveland Business Journal. Now, the news: - After federal regulators [surprisingly delayed]( their review of Pfizer's vaccine for kids 4 and younger for at least another few months, some parents are considering fibbing about their toddler's age in order to get them a shot. The advice from medical experts is simply: Don't. And as WBUR's Gabrielle Emmanuel reports, it's [not just about the individual consequences](. - It's back to the office for all City of Boston employees. As COVID-19 rates continue to fall, the Boston Herald [reported Sunday night]( that Mayor Michelle Wu's administration has ended the policy that allowed some city employees to work from home during the omicron surge. Some unions are pushing back, noting that the city still isn't under [the COVID benchmarks it set for relaxing its vaccination requirement]( for certain indoor venues. But the city notes that masks and vaccination will still be required for returning workers, and that many employees — like teachers or safety inspectors — kept working through the surge. - What does it take to qualify for a religious or medical exemption from Massachusetts' vaccination requirement for state employees? Well, it's not exactly clear. What is clear, though, is that it's hard to get one. WBUR's Ally Jarmanning [reports that Gov. Charlie Baker's administration has rejected 89% of the 2,300 exemption requests]( it received. - It looks like the state is taking a much harder stance than the City of Boston, which says it denied just 59% of the vaccine mandate exemption requests submitted by employees. - More than 1,000 state employees have left their jobs either voluntarily or involuntarily because of the mandate. However, state officials stress that over 97% are in compliance. - ICYMI: Last night was the first Super Bowl since 2016 without the New England Patriots – or a former Patriots quarterback – playing in it. But it was still a good game! If you did miss it, here's [a recap of how the Los Angeles Rams battled through injuries (and the Cincinnati Bengals' offensive line) to win the trophy on their home field](. And if you have a spare 15 minutes, what better way to spend it than [rewatching that halftime show](. P.S.– Omicron forced many hospitals in Massachusetts and beyond to postpone "elective" medical procedures. Were you scheduled for a visit that was delayed? Are you trying to schedule or reschedule a procedure now? We’d like to hear about it for a future story. Reply to this email to share. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [As Mass. moves to relax mask rules, students say COVID is still taking a toll]( "I haven’t learned anything when going to school," said senior Thy Nguyen. "And so I think that’s why many of us don’t have motivation anymore." [Read more.]( [As Mass. moves to relax mask rules, students say COVID is still taking a toll]( "I haven’t learned anything when going to school," said senior Thy Nguyen. "And so I think that’s why many of us don’t have motivation anymore." [Read more.]( [Restaurants cautiously optimistic for business during Super Bowl and Valentine's Day]( After very slow business in December and January, restaurants in the Boston area are optimistic heading into the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day. [Read more.]( [Restaurants cautiously optimistic for business during Super Bowl and Valentine's Day]( After very slow business in December and January, restaurants in the Boston area are optimistic heading into the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day. [Read more.]( [Beacon Hill set to vote on driver's licenses for undocumented immirgants]( After more than a decode of effort, Massachusetts may vote to provide driver's licenses to undocumented residents. [Read more.]( [Beacon Hill set to vote on driver's licenses for undocumented immirgants]( After more than a decode of effort, Massachusetts may vote to provide driver's licenses to undocumented residents. [Read more.]( [When it comes to love and logins, some exes keep sharing passwords]( Sharing passwords has become a sign of trust in modern life. However, it can become a thorny issue when a relationship goes wrong. [Read more.]( [When it comes to love and logins, some exes keep sharing passwords]( Sharing passwords has become a sign of trust in modern life. However, it can become a thorny issue when a relationship goes wrong. [Read more.]( [Biden speaks with Ukraine's leader as U.S. officials warn of imminent Russian attack]( The calls with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin this weekend come as U.S. officials warn that Russia has amassed enough troops and equipment to invade Ukraine any day. [Read more.]( [Biden speaks with Ukraine's leader as U.S. officials warn of imminent Russian attack]( The calls with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin this weekend come as U.S. officials warn that Russia has amassed enough troops and equipment to invade Ukraine any day. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - For some, they're the best part of the Super Bowl. For others, they're cringe-worthy. Yes, we're talking about the ads. NPR has the complete list of last night's [best (and worst) Super Bowl commercials](. - The perfect cozy Valentine's Day may include sipping on some hot chocolate. And it turns out that the drink [has a long, spicy history in New England, dating back to the 1600s](. - Leigh Gilmore [writes in this commentary]( that the sexual misconduct lawsuit against Harvard anthropology professor John Comaroff lifts the curtain on a power dynamic that is far too common in graduate school departments. What We're Reading 📚 - My Husband and I Don’t Speak the Same Love Language ([The New York Times]( - I Gave Myself Three Months To Change My Personality ([The Atlantic]( - Why Slut Strands Are the Hairdo of the Olympic Games ([Slate]( Tell Me Something Good [Our favorite Winter Olympic photos, so far]( Take some time to enjoy pictures of the bigger and lesser- known moments from the winter games. [Read more.]( [Our favorite Winter Olympic photos, so far]( Take some time to enjoy pictures of the bigger and lesser- known moments from the winter games. [Read more.]( Before you go: Boston 2024 is no longer a thing, but if the city ever wanted to host the winter Olympics, [there are some local games we could try](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.