A Flu Shot, a Letter and an Unexpected Response
Every fall, doctors beg the public to get a flu shot. It might not be a big deal to an adult, but for a kid, that needle can be intimidating.
That was the case for Norah Murphy. Two years ago she was a third grader in Homewood and she did not want to get a flu shot.
“I had never had a flu shot before, so I was pretty nervous,” Norah says.
That’s because she had only had the flu mist, which can be taken through the nose. But that year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended against the flu mist because it was not very effective. Norah would have to receive the dreaded flu shot.
So she wrote a letter.
Norah wasn’t sure about sending it. She was just eight years old. But after encouragement from her mom, they dropped it in the mail.
It landed on the desk of Dr. Mark Wilson. He’s the health officer for Jefferson County and the head of the county Department of Health.
Wilson says he’s never received a letter like this before. He was impressed, not only because of Norah’s age, but because she signed it “your friend, who cares a lot.”
“She wasn’t just thinking about herself,” Wilson says. “I think she was also thinking about other kids and whether she could make a difference.”
And Wilson concedes, she had a good argument.
“If you can give the same thing in a mist form, a little squirt up the nose, then why would you give a shot to children and inflict pain on them?” Wilson says. “It’s a perfectly logical question.”
Wilson says he always tries to answer personal letters. He especially wanted to answer this one.
Norah says she was not sure what to think when Wilson’s letter arrived.
“I didn’t think I would ever get a response, but as soon as I read it, I was pretty excited, just that what I had written mattered in a way,” Norah says.
Wilson says so often health departments quote statistics or issue dire warnings. It’s important to remember people are affected on a personal level.
Norah says somehow the letter made vaccines seem less scary. When she did get the shot she was not as nervous.
Norah says she has not written any other public officials. Not yet, at least.
Extra note: The CDC changed its recommendation this year and says a new flu mist is an option. But the flu shot is still recommended as the first choice.
Kimmel and Colbert appear as guests on each other’s shows
On Tuesday night, in New York City, they united in a special talk show crossover of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS.
Taylor Swift popularized fighting for masters. Are more artists getting ownership?
Taylor Swift turned masters ownership from a behind-the-scenes conversation into a mainstream debate about artist autonomy. But how has that fight influenced other artists in the music industry?
Federal agencies are rehiring workers and spending more after DOGE’s push to cut
Eight months after the Department of Government Efficiency effort to shrink the federal workforce began, some agencies are hiring workers back – and spending more money than before.
Fans of the mysterious Mothman bring its West Virginia hometown new life
It started in the 1960s, when two couples told a harrowing story about being chased by a large flying creature on a rural road. It grew from there — and now 20,000 people come to celebrate Mothman.
A GOP push to restrict voting by overseas U.S. citizens continues before 2026 midterms
Republican officials are pushing for more voting restrictions on U.S. citizens who were born abroad and have never lived in the country, after unsuccessfully challenging their ballots in 2024.
Poll: Agreement that political violence may be necessary to right the country grows
On hot button issues, a majority say children should be vaccinated; controlling gun violence is more important than gun rights; and Epstein files should be released, in a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.
