Question: Ever since I became fully vaccinated, I’ve been wanting to walk around licking things.  Am I the only one?

Answer: Apparently not!  I’ve heard this sentiment from a few friends.  A commenter in the Washington Post recently had an exchange with Advice Columnist, Carolyn Hax, on this very topic! (Figure).  Earlier in the pandemic, there were a few stories of people licking things as a “protest” against public health measures taken to curb coronavirus.  For example, the Kansas City Star reported about a man licking a row of deodorant at a Walmart as COVID protest; People reported about a nasty “coronavirus challenge” involving licking public toilets and how a California-based social media “influencer” ended up with COVID as a result (it’s a gross story, I don’t recommend reading it); and Canada’s The Globe and the Mail reported about criminal charges being levied against at least 6 people for deliberately coughing and licking on people/public things.  Now, there are examples of people wanting to lick in response to vaccination-induced immunity!  Just last week, Slate published a story all about a new ad campaign, describing “Why the world needs ads with people licking each other on the face a lot.”  I could speculate on “why” the licking, but your question was about whether you’re “the only one.”  As it turns out, your “new normal” is a LOT of folks’ “new normal”! 

FIgure. Advice Columnist Carolyn Hax, Licking post-vaccination (from Washington Post)